Aveline walked directly down.

The basement was even colder than above, and as she descended, the lights flickered on one by one. She stopped in front of a door with iron bars and frowned, "Who's in there?" "Is... is that you, Aveline?" The man's voice came out weak and frail.

Aveline could even smell a faint scent of blood.

Aveline's expression grew tense, "Who's there?"

"It's Bobby."

Aveline widened her eyes. "Bobby? Is it really you?"

She grabbed the bars and peered inside desperately, but it was pitch dark; she couldn't see anything.

"It's me... Aveline, please save me. I'm being tortured to death. I don't want to die. Please help me, okay?"

Bobby's voice was filled with pleading as if clinging to a lifeline.

"..." Aveline wanted to say she would get him out, but then she remembered Bobby's own father had given up on him. As an outsider, did she have the right to intervene? Aveline asked, "Did you really steal from the Tudor family?"

"No, I didn't!" Bobby was extremely agitated. "I was set up! I did have gambling debts, but I never planned to steal anything!"

Aveline frowned. "What really happened?"

Bobby's breathing was heavy, as if speaking took a great deal of effort.

He slowly said, "I'm just a driver; I don't have the authority to enter the villa. But that day, Mary asked me to deliver something to a room. When I went in, I saw things scattered everywhere, a real mess.

"I just picked them up and put them on the table. Then left. A few days later, the Tudors suddenly arrested me, accusing me of stealing and selling the items, which were said to be the late Mr. Leo's belongings. I never did such a thing. I tried to explain, but they wouldn't believe me!"

Bobby's voice was filled with desperation. "Aveline, please save me. I really don't want to stay here. They're going to beat me to death!"

Aveline's expression was very serious. "Bobby, is everything you said true?"

Bobby gritted his teeth and said, "If I'm lying, I'll die a horrible death!"

Aveline thought back. Bobby was never the type to steal. She had spent a lot of time with him during their three years of high school. He was honest, gentle, and always willing to help. But... "How did you get into gambling?" Aveline asked.

Bobby's voice was hoarse as he replied, "I never intended to gamble. But... my colleague, another driver for the Tudors, often gambled. He convinced me to go with him once. When it was his turn, he suddenly had a stomachache and asked me to take his place for a couple of rounds. I won... and then..."

As he spoke, his voice became even raspier.

Gambling was something that, once touched, could easily become addictive and hard to quit.

The snowball effect was all too real.

Initially, he won a lot, and the easy money excited him,

He became hooked.: owner of this content.

But then, one day, he started losing. Refusing to accept his losses, he k