Chapter 146
Sophia's POV:
I learned from Liliana that Amelia had been locked up at the police station. With multiple charges against her, she'd probably spend the rest of her life in prison.
How strange—this time James didn't rescue her.
But with Amelia arrested, my life finally returned to peace.
The peace lasted less than a week, though.
That afternoon, Liliana said she'd made plans with friends to go shopping and wanted to buy some baby clothes for the little one in my belly.
She asked me to come join them later. I tidied up at home and was getting ready to meet up when Liliana called.
"What's up?" I asked with a smile.
But there was only silence on the other end. I frowned and called out "Liliana" again, but still got no response.
The call was disconnected.
I was about to call back when my phone showed a new message from Liliana.
I quickly opened it, and the moment I did, my blood ran cold.
In the photo, Liliana was tied to a chair, her mouth taped shut, eyes wide with terror. The background looked like some rundown room.
Then a text message popped up.
[Want to save her? Come alone to the old industrial area in the suburbs. If I find out you called the police or told James, I'll slash her face right away and then kill her. You know I'll do it. You have one hour.]
The sender wasn't identified, but from that tone, who else could it be but Amelia?
How did she escape?
Hadn't the police already taken her into custody?
I immediately called Liliana's number, but it was turned off.
I called Liliana's friend, who said confused that Liliana had gone shopping at the mall alone that afternoon—they hadn't made any plans.
My heart sank.
That crazy woman Amelia!
I forced myself to stay calm. Amelia's target was me. She hated me to the bone. Using Liliana to lure me there was simply for revenge.
I quickly sent Andrew a message, shared my real-time location, and briefly explained the situation.
If my location didn't move after half an hour or the signal disappeared, call the police immediately and bring people.
Andrew replied almost instantly.
[Something happened, didn't it? It's too dangerous for you to go alone. Wait for me, I'll go with you!]
I replied:
[If she finds out you came with me, she'll get angry, and Liliana will be finished. Just listen to me.]
After sending the message, I took a deep breath, changed into flat shoes that were easier to move in, hid a small can of pepper spray in my jacket pocket, quietly put my phone on silent, tucked it screen-inward into the side of my bra, and then drove alone to the suburbs.
The old industrial area was desolate, with abandoned factories and stores crouching in the twilight like gray monsters.
I quickly found the "Evercare Family Clinic"—its worn sign hung crooked, windows boarded up with planks.
Pushing open the rusty iron door, a heavy smell of dust mixed with disinfectant hit me in the face.
Inside was dimly lit, with only a pale light coming from the inner room.
"Amelia, I'm here," I called out, trying to make my voice sound steady.
The door to the inner room opened, and Amelia walked out.
She wore ill-fitting old clothes, her hair was messy, and her eyes were like poisoned knives, fixed dead on me.
"Your friendship is really touching," she said with sarcastic laughter, stepping aside. "Come in. Your good friend is inside."
I quickly walked into the inner room. Liliana was tied to a rusty surgical chair.
When Liliana saw me, she struggled excitedly, making muffled sounds, tears streaming down her face.
Her face had some dirt on it, but she didn't appear to have any obvious injuries.
There was also a shabby operating table in the room, with a shelf next to it holding dust-covered medical instruments—eerie and terrifying.
"Amelia, I'm here. Now you can let Liliana go."
"Let her go? Of course I'll let her go," Amelia said slowly, playing with a towel in her hands. "But not until I finish my business."
She pointed at the operating table, her face showing a crazy, gleeful smile: "Grab her."
Two people wearing white masks appeared from nowhere, attacking me from the front and back. I stayed calm, protectively guarding my belly: "What are you doing?"
"What am I doing?" Amelia giggled, her voice echoing in the empty room. "Helping you get rid of that bastard child!"
My whole body went cold: "You're insane!"
"I'm not insane!" Amelia shrieked. "James said it himself! When he was drunk, he held me and said he hated that bastard in your belly."
"He said if it weren't for this child, you two could be together."
She moved closer, her eyes fervent: "I'm helping him. Once I deal with everything he hates, he'll definitely be grateful and come back to me."
"You're talking nonsense!" I was shaking with anger. "James would never say something like that."
James might be annoying, but he wasn't that low.
"Amelia, you made this up yourself, didn't you? Killing people to win back a man who doesn't love you, throwing away your whole life—you really are pathetic right now."
"Shut up!" My words hit her sore spot, and her face twisted.
"If I hadn't saved his life! Would it be your turn to be his wife?"
"What are you? An unwanted orphan, a bitch who only survived on the Smith family's charity, and you dare compete with me."
"Dare to compete with me, then go die." She shouted: "Do it, do it now!"
The thin man in the dirty white coat in front of me moved closer.
"Who dares?" I said sternly, pulling out the pepper spray and aiming it at them. "Touch me, and you're challenging the Smith family. If anything happens to me, I guarantee the Smith family will make you die horribly!"
Amelia wasn't scared at all: "Once you're dead and Liliana's dead, who can trace it back to me?"
She glanced coldly at the man: "What are you waiting for?"
I stepped back, but the person behind grabbed me. I pressed the spray button. The thin man in front was wearing a mask and raised his hand to cover his eyes, while his other hand quickly knocked the spray from my hand.
He grabbed my hand and warned me: "I suggest you behave. That way you'll suffer less."
Liliana struggled desperately, the chair making harsh sounds.
The two men grabbed me together, tied me up, pressed down on my shoulders, and forced me onto the bed.
My heart was pounding. Andrew should already be on his way. I needed to stall for time.
"Amelia, even if I die, James still won't want you." I tried to reason with her. "If you turn back now, you can still start over and find someone better for you."
Amelia's eyes were bloodshot: "If it weren't for you, we would have been married already. You stole him from me, you bitch!"
"Hurry up and kill her and that bastard in her belly!"
The thin man pulled out a syringe from his pocket, filled with murky, unknown liquid: "This shot will only hurt for a moment, then you won't feel any pain at all."
"How much is she paying you? I can double it—no, triple it." I tried to negotiate with them.
The thin man hesitated: "You can come up with that much money?"
I answered with certainty: "I can."
"I..." The thin man's eyes went wide as he looked at his pierced abdomen. Before he could speak, he was dead.
"Dare to betray me, then go die." Amelia pulled out the knife and looked fiercely at the other man. "You do it."
The man trembled with fear. He crouched down, shakily picked up the syringe from the thin man's hand, muttering: "I'm sorry, really sorry..."