Chapter 12: Serve Zachary Well

After hanging up on David, Olivia broke down in tears. She washed her face and called her parents and in-laws.

On the phone, both sets of parents complained to Olivia about the same issue: objects being thrown from high-rise buildings.

"Olivia, you need to be extra careful when you go out," her mother warned. "Yesterday, in our neighborhood, someone threw a bottle of water from a building, and it killed an elderly man's dog."

"The man is over ninety years old, his wife passed away, and his children aren't around. That dog was his only companion, and now it's dead. If that bottle had hit a person instead of the dog, it could have been fatal."

Olivia's heart tightened. "Mom, where were you when the bottle fell?"

"I was right behind the dog. But don't worry, it didn't hit me."

Her in-laws had a similar complaint. No one was actually hurt, but their incident was even more alarming.

"Olivia, you wouldn't believe it. A pregnant woman in our neighborhood went downstairs to get a package and almost got hit by a flower pot. It missed her by inches, falling right past her nose. She was so scared that she had to be hospitalized to protect her pregnancy. If it had hit her, it could have been a double tragedy."

"Did you see this happen yourself?"

"Yes, I did. It scared me so much that my hands were shaking when I called 911."

Olivia's face turned pale. She cautiously asked, "Mom, have there been similar incidents in other neighborhoods?"

"Not that I've heard of. It seems to be just our neighborhood and your mom's, and both incidents happened in the past couple of days. Olivia, I have a bad feeling about this. With Huai Zhou not around, I think I should come stay with you for a while."

"No," Olivia firmly refused.

She knew very well that these incidents, like David's fall into the lake, were orchestrated by Robert.

He was using her family's safety to build a cage around her, trapping and tormenting her.

She couldn't struggle or escape; she could only endure it silently.

As long as she obeyed, her parents and in-laws would be safe. But if her family got involved, their lives could be at risk.

She couldn't let that happen.

Realizing her tone was too harsh, Olivia quickly explained:

"Mom, I didn't mean anything by it. It's just that I've been working a lot of overtime lately, and my schedule is all over the place. I don't want to disturb you and Dad."

"It's okay. I was just suggesting it. Don't worry about it."

Her mother-in-law chose her words carefully:

"Olivia, you seem a bit off. Is something wrong? No matter what it is, you need to talk about it. We can figure it out together. Many minds are better than one."

Warm tears welled up in Olivia's eyes.

She held the phone away and took a deep breath before speaking:

"I know, thank you, Mom. I'm fine, just busy with work. Don't worry."

Olivia braced herself for Charles to come looking for her at any moment.

But the next week passed without a word from him, as if he had vanished from the world.

It almost felt like everything before had been a figment of her imagination.

Almost.

She didn't dare to dream that "it was all just a bad dream."

Charles loved to strike when she was relaxed and happy, dragging her back into hell.

Just like when she had tried to confirm his identity.

She knew this.

Two days before her birthday, her parents and in-laws had planned to celebrate together.

David called early, and they set a time for a video call.

"David, I love you," Olivia said as she left the office, ending the call.

A black Mercedes pulled up beside her, the window rolling down to reveal a face that was both unfamiliar and somewhat familiar.

"Ms. Smith," the man said, "Mr. Green has a task for you tonight."

Mr. Green... Charles!

And the man in front of her was one of Charles's henchmen.

She had seen him once before when she was tricked into the hotel.

Olivia's face turned grim. She quickly glanced around to make sure no one she knew was nearby, then got into the car.

She clutched her bag tightly. "What does Mr. Green want me to do?"

He really knew how to pick his moments.

"You'll find out when you get there, Ms. Smith."

Olivia was taken to get her hair and makeup done.

Her straight hair was styled into big waves, and her modest clothes were replaced with a tight, red dress.

The dress had a deep V-neck that plunged almost to her navel.

It was tight around her hips, barely covering her butt, and any movement risked exposing her underwear.

"I don't want to wear this," Olivia protested, trying to adjust the dress to cover herself.

"Ms. Smith, this is Mr. Green's request. You have to wear it."

Olivia was then taken to a seaside villa.

The garden was filled with rock formations and the sound of flowing water, creating an elegant atmosphere.

She followed the henchman across a curved bridge, through an archway, and into a private room.

Inside, several men were seated, each with two scantily clad women by their side.

Charles was among them, with two women sitting next to him.

Perhaps because of his cold demeanor, the women beside him were more reserved, unlike the other women, who were practically draped over the men, laughing as the men groped them..

Olivia tried to ignore the debauchery in the room and nervously approached Charles.

"Mr. Green."

Before Charles could respond, a bald man next to him eyed her up and down.

"Mr. Green, is this lady new to the business?"

"Mr. Baker, you have a keen eye. She is indeed new and not as experienced as the others."

"I like them inexperienced," the bald man said, rubbing his hands as he walked over to Olivia. He slapped her butt, making her jump in surprise.

"Mr. Green, this one's interesting. I want to have her."

Charles raised his glass in a mock toast. "She's all yours, Mr. Baker. Ms. Smith, make sure you take good care of Mr. Baker tonight."

Zachary Baker grinned wider, grabbing Olivia by the waist and sliding his hand under her dress.

His other hand groped her chest.

Olivia fought back her disgust and replied, "Yes."

Zachary's actions grew more aggressive. He swept everything off a nearby table, lifted her onto it, and leaned over her.

The room erupted in cheers:

"Mr. Baker, are you going to give us a show?"

"Go, Mr. Baker!"

"How about a contest to see who lasts the longest?"

"Count me in!"

"I'm in too!"

'These animals.'

Olivia cursed them silently, gritting her teeth.

Forced to lie on the table, she fumbled around until she found a wine glass teetering on the edge.