Chapter 1535

If Mike had known this man would be so annoying, he wouldn't have brought him along. However, he didn't want to cause trouble.

Austin finally fell silent for a while, but his curiosity remained, particularly as they drove down familiar yet unfamiliar streets.

"Where are we going? Are you taking me home? Do you know where I live, or are we going to the police station? Why don't we stop at the police station first? Maybe I need a test..."

"Who said I'm saving you?" Mike retorted.

Mike's lips twitched as he glanced at Austin in the rearview mirror.

"If you're not saving me, where are we going?" Austin asked.

Confused, Austin wondered why Mike had brought him out if he wasn't trying to save him. The thought, 'Is he going to kill me somewhere else?!' spurred a sudden vigilance, and he stared at Mike with widened eyes.

"What are you doing? Are you trying to kill me?"

Mike smiled, but said nothing, continuing to drive slowly.

"Stop the car! I want to get out! Stop the car now!" Austin yelled, throwing his food aside and attempting to open the door, only to find it locked.

Mike's smile now seemed menacing, even scarier than Rhea's. Austin had only just begun to trust him; no one would have expected him to be like Rhea.

"You, you..." Austin stammered, feeling his head spin—a familiar dizziness.

"The food..." he murmured.

"How can you just eat the food I gave you? You deserve to die," Mike said, glaring at Austin, his smile unwavering as he drove on.

"You..." Austin began scratching at his throat, trying to vomit. After retching several times, he managed to vomit some food, but felt his strength rapidly fading.

"Don't waste your energy. You've already ingested the medicine. What good will spitting it out do?" Mike said calmly, continuing to taunt him. "Let's enjoy the rest of this road trip!"

That was the last thing Austin heard before his vision went dark.

The village was surprisingly lively for a rural town. Narrow streets teemed with people; tricycles, electric bicycles, and even tractors traversed the roads. Lily slowed, her mood brightening with each mile. The atmosphere felt peaceful. She watched people shop for vegetables by the roadside, chattering about chores and drying fruit. The simple lifestyle was a beautiful sight.

She continued her journey at a leisurely pace, unhindered and unfollowed. According to the address, she was less than thirteen miles away. The sun had risen, and the thought of seeing Alexander lifted her spirits.

'Everything is going to be all right,' she thought. Leaving the town center, her surroundings became more desolate. The grass grew taller, the woods denser, and the road narrower.

She focused on driving, though not overly frightened. She knew Alexander couldn't live in a densely populated area after contracting such a disease; he had to isolate himself. While she didn't know how he'd survived the past few days, she imagined he'd suffered greatly.