CHAPTER 916 STILL COUNTING ON YOU FOR PROTECTION

Screams echoed through the basement.

Zeke's fingers bled profusely. His whole body trembled as the stream of curses he spewed earlier vanished.

Kevin leaned against the car, staring at him coldly.

Saltwater splashed onto Zeke's wounds, making his face contort in agony. His fingers quivered violently until he couldn't take it any longer. In the end, he cried out, "Alright, alright! I'll talk!"

…

Irene lay weakly on the cold, hard bed, her neck chained to a stake in the ground.

Outside, rain pattered softly.

Wrapped in a thin blanket and suffering from blood loss, she teetered on the edge of death.

"This girl's got a fiery temper and nearly lost her life. Noah says we need to patch her up, or she'll die. We spent too much on her. She still needs to give birth to more sons for Walter's family. Otherwise, it's not much of an investment."

"What a waste of money! We even have to foot her medical bills…"

The voices of a man and a woman could be heard outside the door. Irene couldn't stop the tears from flowing.

Will I never find peace, not even in death?

"They say she's a university student from Capitalis, an artist with good genes. If she gives birth to a son who makes it to Capitalis, Walter's family will be known far and wide."

The man's voice was full of anticipation.

Soon, a short, chubby woman walked in.

She helped Irene sit up and handed her a bowl of medicine.

Irene gritted her teeth, refusing to speak.

The woman glanced at Irene's pale face and sighed before commenting, "You can't escape from this valley. Even if you die, they'll find a way to bring you back. Drink this medicine to stay alive. Staying alive is all that matters now. Think of your family."

"Let me go!" Irene cried.

Without hesitation, the woman pried open her mouth, forcing the medicine down her throat. "You're so naive, coming here from the big city, believing what anyone says. This is good stuff, made from the placenta of a healthy boy from the next village. Usually, we can't afford such luxuries."

At that, Irene leaned over and retched violently.

The rain hadn't let up in days.

The damp room and the infection from the old man's abuse had left Irene's wrists infected.

Despite trying to clean the wounds, her fever lingered.

Noah, the local doctor, checked her pulse and shook his head. "She needs to go to a hospital. This infection won't heal without proper treatment. If we don't get her there soon, she won't last."

Puffing on a cigarette, Walter grimaced. "We spent thousands on her, and now we have to spend more on a hospital bill!"

Suddenly, he stood up, grabbed a broom, and swung it hard at Irene.

She couldn't dodge, quickly passing out from the pain.

In a feverish haze, Irene felt herself being lifted.

She figured she was on her way to be buried in some unknown village.

With bloodshot eyes, Kevin carried her out of the dark room without a word, wanting nothing more than to burn the entire village to the ground.

Xavien saw Irene's battered face and knew they had no time to waste. "We need to get her to the hospital immediately."

"You handle the rest. The whole region's neck-deep in bride-buying. Clean it up!" Kevin muttered as he placed Irene on the helicopter.

Onboard, he removed the dark bed sheet covering her.

She was swollen and bruised from the beatings, and he could only imagine her agony.

"Irene, it's Kevin. I'm here to rescue you. You'll be alright," he whispered gently.

They hadn't realized how dire her condition was and didn't have a doctor with them.

The moment they landed in Capitalis, Kevin hurried Irene to the hospital.

In the emergency room, Kevin approached a doctor, his voice strained as he stated, "Check if she was assaulted."

The doctor nodded and headed inside.

Abigail, who was with Sean, overheard and approached Kevin. "If she was, would you just look the other way?"

"I'm not obsessed with purity. I just need evidence," Kevin replied angrily, adjusting his collar. Then, with a bitter smile, he added, "I'm no saint, so why expect her to be?"

"Xavien phoned me and mentioned that dealing with Irene's matter would be tough because the women there are exploited, and the authorities do nothing. That whole village is rotten," Sean muttered.

Kevin stayed silent.

"Don't be stupid. Don't throw your life away over them. Someone else will handle it. Your job is to protect Irene and keep her from doing anything rash," Sean said, reading Kevin's thoughts.

Any clash with the locals would surely end in a jail sentence.

"You're safe now, but if anything happens to you, who'll protect Irene next time she's in danger?" Abigail added.Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.