Chapter 18: Pinecrest Village

Autumn shot Olivia a look of mild frustration, thinking, "What can I say? My dear silly girl."

"Olivia, the reason Ivan and Oscar give me money is 'cause they don't know how to show their feelings. Don't you think they're both pretty reserved? Every time I spend money, they get a text. It's their way of contributing to the family and showing love. It makes them feel like they belong," Autumn said.

The union of the two families was originally about mutual dependence. Autumn seemed optimistic and often threw tantrums, but when Austin sacrificed himself, she had considered suicide.

Ivan's wife passed away early, and Oscar was raised by his grandmother. Ivan and Oscar had no emotional connection and often sat in silence when together. Olivia was very familiar with that feeling.

"Fine, you're the boss of the family!" Olivia said.

Autumn was even happier after being coaxed by Olivia, and she easily spent a few thousand dollars more. Olivia was helpless; Autumn just couldn't stop spending money.

Back at the dorm, Autumn started tidying up Olivia's room, hanging curtains, washing bed sheets, arranging furniture, and even adding a few household appliances, making the originally empty dorm room feel full.

Olivia thought Autumn would stay in Emerald City for a few days, but during dinner, Ivan drove over and took Olivia to a restaurant in Emerald City for a meal.

"Mom, you said you came specifically to see me, but that's not true, is it? You came with Ivan, didn't you?" Olivia asked.

Ivan smiled, looking at Autumn with gentle eyes. "Your mom has been wanting to come for a while. I didn't feel comfortable letting her come alone, and since I had work to do, I brought her along. If you want her to stay longer, I can come back and pick her up in a few days."

Olivia quickly waved her hand; having Autumn stay longer would make her life difficult.

"I won't disturb your time together. You two should head home! I have monthly leave, and I'll come home to see you. Don't worry!" Olivia reassured them.

Autumn snorted, knowing Olivia's promise was not reliable, but still gave her many reminders before leaving.

"Be careful. Don't always rush to the front. Got it?" Autumn warned.

"Got it. Please go now, or you'll get home at midnight!" Olivia urged.

Autumn glared at Olivia before getting in the car and leaving. Olivia stood by the street watching the car drive away before heading to the bus stop to take a bus to the police station.

At the next day's summary meeting, William explained the entire case process, and Benjamin was quite satisfied after hearing it. Lucy had confessed and was awaiting the court's judgment.

Olivia was looking at Aurelia's file. Although the case was closed, there was still some controversy over Aurelia's custody.

"Mr. Phillips, I want to visit the place where Aurelia was trafficked," Olivia said.

As soon as Olivia finished speaking, she saw Henry frowning at her.

"Why?" Henry asked.

"Aurelia was trafficked thirty years ago and gave birth to a daughter. I want to find out how she was found and how she was trafficked. This might be related to the issue of Aurelia's inheritance," Olivia explained.

Henry didn't quite get why Olivia was dragging out the case, but it wasn't totally off-base, so he gave the green light. "Let William help you out. Make sure to contact the local police before heading over," Henry instructed.

Olivia nodded, grinning. Henry, on the other hand, felt a bit uneasy. She was diving into another big mess.

Olivia and William reached out to the local cops and found out Henry had already checked in about this a week ago. Olivia was taken aback; she didn't expect Henry to be ahead of her again.

"Wait, are you saying Mr. Phillips already talked to you?" Olivia asked.

"Yep, not only did he reach out, but he also asked us to dig into the family Aurelia was trafficked to. I'll send you what we found. This case is a real headache," the local officer replied.

Olivia nodded, kind of expecting this. During Lucy's interrogation, she mentioned Aurelia had told her that most of the men in the village where she was trafficked were single. Decades ago, because of poverty, most men in the village couldn't get married.

Most of the women in the village were bought, so the village was super touchy about human trafficking. If their interests were threatened, the whole village would band together to resist.

After reading the materials, Olivia was deep in thought. She couldn't wrap her head around how such places could still exist today; it was mind-blowing.

"Ms. Smith, it's best to have male colleagues investigate Pinecrest Village. It's too dangerous for women," the local officer advised.

After hanging up, Olivia weighed her options. She wasn't ready to back down. Taking a deep breath, she went to find Henry with the documents.

"Mr. Phillips, this is the info from the local police. You might want to check it out," Olivia said.

As a regular officer, Olivia couldn't make big calls on her own, so she needed Henry's go-ahead.

After looking at the info, Henry made a call. "You don't need to go. I'll contact state leaders to coordinate the investigation," Henry said.

Even though she knew Henry would disagree, Olivia pushed back, "Mr. Phillips, I want to be part of this!"

"No way! Olivia, this ends here. If you go against orders, you can hand in your badge!" Henry was seriously pissed. Solving the case was crucial, but Olivia's safety mattered more.

In the end, Olivia got chewed out and booted from Henry's office, feeling super frustrated.

William saw her come out and quickly approached. "Olivia, what happened? Did you tick off Mr. Phillips again?"

"What do you mean again? I'm just standing up for what I believe in!" Olivia shot back.

William was at a loss. What was she thinking, trying to argue with Henry?

Olivia thought for a moment and then went to find Benjamin, who also advised against her going. "Olivia, I get that it's your duty as a cop, but as your superior, I also have to keep you safe! Pinecrest Village is a hotbed for human trafficking. They don't just traffic women; they also snatch kids from all over. The local police have been fighting these traffickers for ages, and there have even been casualties!" Benjamin explained.