Melody Summers’s heart leaped in alarm at the sight. This person had clearly been kidnapped by Gene Young and Yvonne York!

’I can’t believe it... Even though that couple missed their chance with Crystal Mart in this life, they still became outlaws. A leopard really can’t change its spots!’

The kidnapped person was lying on their side on the floor, their back to the door. Melody couldn’t see their face, only that they had long hair, leading her to surmise that the victim was a woman.

Melody hesitated for a split second, then tightened her grip on her phone and cautiously stepped forward.

The person on the floor must have sensed the beam from the flashlight or heard Melody’s footsteps, because they began to stir from their unconscious state.

As Melody watched warily, the bound woman on the floor slowly struggled to sit up.

She then turned, her gaze hazy as she looked toward the door, right where Melody had just entered.

The moment their eyes met, Melody’s own widened in astonishment—

It was Noelle Quillan, who had been missing for ages!

The mistress of her ex-foster father, Adam Lawson!

Noelle clearly recognized Melody as well. Her eyes shot wide open, filled with shock.

Noelle wanted to ask Melody why she was here, but with her mouth taped shut, she couldn’t speak at all.

Melody stared at Noelle tied up on the floor, feeling conflicted. She debated whether she should just turn around and leave—after all, she truly detested this woman for breaking up a family.

But after a moment’s thought, she decided against it. There were, after all, some things she needed to ask Noelle.

So Melody closed the utility closet door behind her, walked over to Noelle, and asked in a hushed voice, "...Were you kidnapped and brought here by Gene Young and his wife?"

Noelle nodded frantically, muffled whimpers escaping her lips. Her eyes, fixed on Melody, were filled with a mixture of excitement and desperation, as if begging Melody to rescue her.

Melody frowned in annoyance. "...Keep it down," she whispered, "or you’ll wake up Gene and Yvonne."

At the mention of their names, Noelle’s pupils instantly contracted in fear, and she fell silent.

Seeing that she had calmed down, Melody again whispered, "I’m going to peel the tape off your mouth now. Don’t make a sound. Understand?"

Noelle nodded repeatedly.

Melody leaned forward and ripped the tape from Noelle’s mouth.

Once her mouth was free, Noelle pleaded with Melody, "...They—they’re going to kill me! Please, I’m begging you, you have to save me!"

Her eyes were wide with terror, and her voice trembled uncontrollably.

Melody quickly put a finger to her lips, signaling for her to be quiet. Then, she asked in a low voice, "How did you end up here? And how do you know Gene and Yvonne?"

Melody remembered that during the heatwave last year, Adam Lawson had sold both Noelle and her stepdaughter, Joelle Lawson.

Melody later saw Joelle at The Crestview Hotel, but Noelle was nowhere to be found. After two years of natural disasters, she had assumed Noelle was long dead.

She never would have guessed that Noelle would turn up in The Metropolis Residences, locked up by Gene and his wife!

At Melody’s question, a complicated look crossed Noelle’s face. She clenched her jaw and said softly, "I... Adam Lawson sold me to human traffickers. Gene and his people were the ones who bought me..."

At the time, Adam Lawson had sold both Noelle and Joelle to traffickers. The younger Joelle was selected by the relatively high-end Crestview Hotel, while the older Noelle was sold to a low-class underground "entertainment" venue.

To call it a "low-class underground entertainment venue" was putting it mildly. In reality, it was nothing more than a brothel. Taking advantage of the chaos caused by the disasters and the stretched-thin police force, local thugs ran rampant, engaging in prostitution, gambling, and drug use.

Noelle endured a living hell at that venue. Every day, she was forced to service all sorts of men, and any resistance was met with a savage beating.

Until one day, she discovered she was pregnant.

When she was four months pregnant, Gene Young and Yvonne York showed up. Noelle learned that the couple were the owners of the establishment.

Gene and Yvonne then took the four-months-pregnant Noelle away from the venue. Noelle thought they were taking her for an abortion, but to her surprise, they brought her to meet a man called "Mr. Caelus."

Hearing this, Melody’s eyes widened in shock. ’Mr. Caelus?’

’It’s the Advent Sect again!’

’The Advent Sect was already making moves in Anworth this early on?!’

Melody quickly asked, "You’ve seen this Mr. Caelus? What does he look like?"

Noelle shook her head and answered softly, "I don’t know. He was always behind a curtain whenever we met. I never saw his face."

Melody frowned. ’This guy is pretty careful...’ she thought.

Noelle continued, "That’s when I found out that Gene and Yvonne weren’t just the owners of that venue. They were also part of The Cult..."

Gene and Yvonne were high-ranking members of the Advent Sect, responsible for managing the underground venue on behalf of Mr. Caelus.

The couple used the "incense money" from Mr. Caelus to operate the venue. They specifically bought women from traffickers who were known to get pregnant easily, which is why Noelle, having given birth twice before, was a natural choice.

Melody was confused. She frowned and asked, "Specifically buying women who get pregnant easily? Why?"

’Shouldn’t a brothel try its best to prevent the prostitutes from getting pregnant? Why would they specifically seek out fertile women?’

Noelle fell silent for a moment before answering hoarsely, "...Making the prostitutes sell their bodies is just a front. Their real business is selling ’Divine Fortune.’"

Melody was taken aback. "...Selling Divine Fortune?"

Noelle nodded. "Yes... The Cult has a Secret Technique that can predict the destiny and fortune of a pregnant woman and her fetus. A man sleeps with a pregnant woman whose fortune is compatible with his. Afterward, the woman is forced to have an abortion. This supposedly transfers the fetus’s fortune to the man, granting him ’Divine Fortune’..."

"...Mr. Caelus has many wealthy clients who pay huge sums of money for this ’Divine Fortune.’ That’s their real business. The prostitution is just a cover."

After being worn down by the disasters, ordinary people had little money to spare. A session with Noelle at the venue only earned a few dozen bucks, maybe a few hundred on a good day. But the rich, in their quest for "Divine Fortune," would pay hundreds of thousands, even millions, in one go!

So, Gene and Yvonne specifically bought women who had given birth before from traffickers. These women were generally older and less attractive, so high-class establishments wouldn’t take them. Eager to make a quick sale, the traffickers sold them cheap.

Gene and his wife would put these women in their underground venue. They’d have them sell their bodies to make money and attract gamblers, all while encouraging them to get pregnant.

Once a prostitute became pregnant, she would be taken to Mr. Caelus. He would then calculate the destiny and fortune of the mother and fetus to see which wealthy client would be a suitable match.

Melody’s eyes widened as she listened, her entire worldview reeling from the shock. ’What kind of twisted depravity is this! Are these people even human?!’