Chapter 128

Scarlett’s POV

I stood on the hospital steps, feeling a wave of powerless disappointment wash over me.

This was the eighth hospital I had visited this week, and still, I had nothing to show for it.

During these five days in Silverpeak City, I had visited nearly every major hospital, hoping to find any trace of Alexander. Unfortunately, between the language barrier and my lack of connections, every search had ended in failure.

When I left, I'd brought only my phone and some money, nothing else. After days of searching, I was exhausted and without a single lead.

I crouched weakly at the roadside as hunger suddenly struck me.

It dawned on me that I hadn't eaten in hours.

"Perhaps some food will help me think more clearly."

Walking toward a roadside restaurant, I ordered a plate of pasta.

As I was devouring it, my phone suddenly vibrated.

"Haven't found him yet?" Camila's voice came through the phone, sounding somewhat tense.

"Not yet," I sighed, putting down my fork. "I've searched everywhere I could think of, but there's no trace of him. Did you call for something specific?"

As I spoke, I glanced around, feeling as though several pairs of eyes were watching me.

Just then, Camila continued, "Vernon's people are looking for you everywhere, and Marvin is searching for you too. When news of your failed mission reached the Obsidian Palace, he immediately sent people to find you. Now they know you're in Silverpeak City. I assume..."

My heart sank as I understood what she left unsaid.

"I assume whoever finds me first will deal with me accordingly?"

I set down my spoon and stood to leave.

The video call remained connected as I hurried toward the exit.

From my peripheral vision, I noticed a tall figure following me out of the restaurant.

Cold sweat immediately ran down my spine.

"Camila, I have to go. Someone's following me."

"Be careful, Scarlett. If you really can't find Alexander, just come back. Once you're back home, we can devise a long-term plan—"

I cut the call before she could finish, tucked the phone into my pocket, and quickened my pace.

Don't look back.

I repeated this to myself as I turned onto a busy commercial street.

Talk about rotten luck.

After several turns, I found myself cornered in a narrow alley.

The stench of rotting garbage filled the air, permeating the entire passageway.

Even though the bustling downtown was just a stone's throw away, I was certain that if someone wanted to take my life here, no one would intervene.

I stepped back, crushing an empty can beneath my foot.

The sound of metal hitting the pavement seemed especially jarring in the quiet alley.

"You're very brave to come to Silverpeak City!" a man said in broken English, advancing toward me step by step.

My back pressed against the cold brick wall—there was nowhere left to retreat.

Closing my eyes in desperation, I prepared to accept this damned fate.

In that moment, I suddenly recalled a crime show I had once watched.

A wife disappeared from a fitting room while traveling to Silverpeak City with her husband. When she was found again, she had been dismembered, her parts arranged in a vase like a macabre flower arrangement.

Would I meet a similar end?

I tugged at the corner of my mouth with a bitter smile. Before I could even struggle, a sharp pain exploded at the back of my head.

When I regained consciousness, my head was throbbing with pain.

I tried to move but discovered that my hands and feet were firmly bound, and my eyes were covered with a blindfold.

The air was heavy with a strong incense, similar to the kind found in ancient churches.

The scent reminded me of certain rooms in the Obsidian Palace that carried the same aroma.

I attempted to move my body, but it was utterly useless.

"Is anyone there?" I asked shakily, grateful at least that my mouth wasn't gagged.

However, the next second, a cold knife was pressed against my neck.

Inside the room, the air conditioning was fierce, raising goosebumps all over my skin.

Yet what was most terrifying wasn't the knife at my throat, but the sliding sound it made as it quickly cut through the straps of my dress.

In an instant, my body was left exposed.

This feeling of complete helplessness—unable to see, body restrained, shamefully exposed—immediately triggered an intense fear of violation.

"No!" I instinctively cried out.

"No... what?" the man asked coldly, his voice chilling me to the bone.

"Who are you? What do you want?" I managed to ask, my voice barely above a whisper.