Melody Summers followed Albus’s directions, taking the emergency stairwell from Room 1108 down to the second basement level.

Perhaps Flynn Adler and his men were so certain the women couldn’t escape from the basement that, aside from the thugs guarding the elevators, there weren’t many people patrolling the area.

As the two of them stared in shock, Melody Summers calmly closed the door.

When Albus had come to the second basement level looking for people earlier, he had only found Nina Summers in this room. Melody hadn’t expected Joelle Lawson to be here now as well.

Standing at the door just a moment ago, Melody Summers had faintly overheard the two of them talking. When Adam Lawson died, she had wondered why Noelle Quillan and Joelle Lawson were nowhere to be found.

To think that Adam Lawson had actually just sold the mother and daughter off...

Seeing Melody Summers walk in looking so calm, Nina Summers was stunned—she hadn’t expected Melody to actually come!

’...Since Melody is here, does that mean I can go now?’

Before Nina Summers could speak, Joelle Lawson rushed past her and stepped in front of Melody Summers.

Joelle Lawson wore a bizarre expression, a mixture of shock and glee. Meeting Melody Summers’s confused gaze, she asked, "What are you doing here? Don’t tell me... you and your mom were sold off by him too?!"

Melody Summers frowned slightly, but the smile on Joelle Lawson’s face only grew wider until she looked positively thrilled.

She continued, "I knew it! I knew it! If he sold me and my mom, there was no way you and your mom would get a happy ending! We haven’t lost to you!" 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

Melody Summers was rendered speechless by Joelle Lawson’s words. ’At a time like this, Joelle still has the energy for these comparisons? Is there something wrong with her?’

Ignoring the manic excitement on Joelle Lawson’s face, Melody Summers walked straight to Nina Summers and asked in a cold voice, "Nina Walsh, you said you ran away and needed comforting. What’s all this, then?"

Nina Summers was surprised that Melody had actually come.

They weren’t on good terms. If she were in Melody’s shoes, she never would have come.

And yet, Melody had actually come... At that thought, a wave of gratitude washed over Nina, but it was immediately followed by a surge of anxiety and guilt.

Influenced by her mother, Mindy Walsh, and her father, Caleb Summers, Nina had never liked Melody. But it was just dislike; she had never wished for Melody to die.

Nina knew it was her fault Melody was here. She avoided her cousin’s gaze and mumbled, "I... I was really going to run away... but they caught me..."

Melody Summers scoffed. "So, you knew these people were bad news, and you still deliberately lured me here to die?"

Overwhelmed by a potent wave of guilt, Nina didn’t know how to answer Melody. All she could do was stammer, "I’m sorry, I’m sorry, but I... I had no choice. If I didn’t do what they said, they... they were going to harvest my organs! I don’t want to die..."

Over the past few days, Nina had watched the other girls who were kidnapped alongside her die, one by one. For someone who had lived such a sheltered life, the shock was simply too much to bear.

With that, Nina didn’t dare ask if she could leave. She just pulled the blanket over her head and began to sob quietly.

Melody scoffed. She knew Nina hadn’t really had a choice, but she’d wanted to confirm whether her cousin had been forced to lure her here.

If Nina had willingly conspired with Flynn Adler to harm her, Melody wouldn’t have let her off the hook this time. After all, this was the second time Nina had done something like this. Melody could forgive her once, maybe twice, but not a third time. She wouldn’t keep such a threat around.

But if Nina had been forced by Flynn Adler, if she truly had no other choice, then for the sake of their shared grandmother, Melody could spare her life.

It seemed Nina had indeed been forced. Otherwise, she wouldn’t be locked up in here. Judging by her pale face, she had clearly been tormented.

Seeing her in this state, Melody could only hope that Nina would finally learn her lesson and stay far away from Clara Hayes and her friends!

Listening nearby, Joelle Lawson was starting to piece things together. ’So,’ she thought, ’when Nina said she was "getting her cousin to take her place," she was serious. And that cousin is Melody Summers!’

Joelle Lawson’s brow furrowed. ’So they’re cousins!’

’No wonder I find them both so annoying. They’re even cut from the same holier-than-thou cloth!’

The realization that Melody hadn’t been sold by Adam Lawson made Joelle snap. She grabbed Melody’s arm and demanded angrily, "Did my dad go to your mom to get back together? Did he take the money he got from selling me and my mother and go to you two?"

Meeting Melody’s confused look, Joelle glared at her and said bitterly, "Do you and your mother think you’ve won? You must be so smug, right?"

"I’ll tell you the truth—when my dad sold my mom, they hadn’t even finalized the divorce! Melody Summers, that makes you and your mother the homewreckers now!"

Hearing this, Melody Summers immediately yanked her arm out of Joelle Lawson’s grasp.

She couldn’t fathom Joelle Lawson’s line of thinking. She sneered and retorted, "Joelle Lawson, what in the world is going on in that head of yours?"

Facing Joelle Lawson’s furious and bitter glare, Melody said calmly, "You think my mother and I care about Adam Lawson? You think we’d fight you over a piece of garbage? Let me tell you the truth. Adam Lawson is dead. My mother killed him with her own hands."

Joelle Lawson’s eyes flew wide with shock. She cried out in disbelief, "What did you say?! No—that’s impossible!"

Joelle Lawson refused to believe Melody. She assumed Melody was just saying it to spite her.

Before Melody could say anything, Nina, still on the bed, spoke up urgently, "SHHH—Amy, keep your voice down! You’ll attract those tigers and leopards and things from outside."

Forgetting her tears, Nina scrambled out of bed, desperate for Melody and Joelle to stop fighting.

Based on what Joelle had just said, Nina finally figured out the relationship between her and Melody.

At home, Caleb Summers often called Winnie Summers a cast-off wife who couldn’t hold onto a man, saying that a divorced woman like her was a disgrace to the family. That was why Nina had always disliked Winnie, and by association, looked down on Melody.

Now that her father, Caleb, had remarried and had a son, Nina found herself in a situation similar to Melody’s. She suddenly realized how terribly wrong she had been in the past.

Joelle just scoffed at her words and said disdainfully, "Coward. That leopard can’t get in here."

Seeing Nina’s petrified expression, Joelle added maliciously, "Even if the leopard doesn’t come, you two cousins aren’t escaping! I already told you, no woman who comes in here gets out alive! You might as well resign yourselves to being prostitutes!"

Nina’s face went deathly pale, and fresh tears streamed down her cheeks. She shook her head, almost numbly, and whispered, "No... I won’t be a prostitute..."

Melody frowned at Joelle and said coolly, "Are you happy that we can’t get out, Joelle? You can’t get out either. Or do you actually enjoy the idea of staying here as a prostitute?"

Joelle grunted nonchalantly, glaring at Melody. "If I become a prostitute, at least I’ll be supporting myself with my own skills. What right do you have to judge me? I can’t stand that holier-than-thou act you two cousins put on... If you don’t want to be prostitutes, then just wait for them to harvest your organs!"

At these words, Nina collapsed limply to the floor, her gaze vacant. She had bitten her lip so hard it was bleeding. "No," she mumbled, "I don’t want my organs harvested either... I... I want to live..."

Seeing the verge-of-breakdown look on Nina’s face, Melody said with a helpless sigh, "All right, stop crying. I’ve already called the police. They’ll be here any minute. Don’t worry, you’re going to get out of here alive."