Ha! Of course, she couldn’t say anything—she’d just announced her own wedding in the WhatsApp group that day.

If Jamison had blurted out that he’d gotten married the very same day, she would’ve been suspicious in a heartbeat. He’d really gone all out to keep up his charade. But for what? Just for the thrill of messing with her?

“Ivy? Ivy?” Katrina’s voice came from the other end, calling her name when she didn’t get an answer.

Snapping back, Ivy quickly exited the messaging app and put her phone to her ear. “Yeah, I just wanted to let you know—don’t worry about the start of the semester if you’re busy and not at home. I’m all caught up on the details.”

Katrina sounded worried. “Ivy, are you sure you’re okay? Nothing’s happened, right?”

“I’m fine, really. That’s all—gotta go.”

Ending the call, Ivy walked back to the hospital bed, phone in hand. Just as she set it down on the nightstand, Jamison reached out. “Let me see. I need to check my messages.”

He hadn’t looked at his phone all day. No doubt there were people trying to reach him. Ivy hesitated for a moment, studying him in silence, then handed over her phone. Jamison scrolled through the messages but didn’t seem to notice anything unusual.

Relieved, Ivy let out a small breath, the corners of her lips curling up in a faint smile.

Later that evening, Ivy returned to the hotel to pack up her things, then brought her suitcase straight to the hospital—she’d be spending the night there. Officer Gallagher called again that evening to discuss the case. After Silly’s father was arrested, he quickly confessed to the human trafficking charges, faced with overwhelming evidence.

Chapter 34

Now, Ivy’s kidnapping case was officially moving into the trial phase. Gallagher called to give her a heads-up: when the court date arrived, she’d need to testify as the victim.

“I understand, Warren. If you need anything, just let me know—I’ll cooperate fully.”

Ivy’s thoughts drifted to the old man who’d died so suddenly that night. Worried that Warren and the others might’ve gotten into trouble over it, she asked about the aftermath—only to learn something shocking. The old man’s granddaughter-in-law had also been trafficked not long before. She was four months pregnant, locked up at home, and forced to await the birth.

That night, the old man had fought the police so fiercely because he was terrified they’d discover his granddaughter-in-law and rescue her too. If that happened, he’d lose both her and his unborn great-grandchild.

But in the end, justice prevailed. Not only did he lose his life for nothing, but his granddaughter-in-law and great-grandchild were both gone as well.

“The girl’s family arrived this afternoon,” Warren told her, his voice heavy with guilt. “They’re finally reunited. In the next few days, her parents will take her to the hospital.”

The implication was clear: the four-month pregnancy would be terminated. Warren’s regret echoed through the phone—if only they’d worked harder, cracked the case sooner, maybe these girls wouldn’t have suffered so much.

After hanging up, Ivy sat in silence, her heart weighed down by it all. Jamison was eating on the sofa, having overheard her conversation. When he saw her put down the phone and sit there, untouched food in front of her, he glanced over and tried to comfort her. “Being rescued at all is a stroke of luck. Ending the pregnancy at four months is hard, but it’s better than giving birth and being tied down for a lifetime. Think about Silly’s mom. She probably had chances to escape, but she couldn’t bear to leave her son behind—so she stayed trapped forever.”

Ivy looked at him, picking up her fork as she muttered, “How do you always know what I’m thinking?”

Jamison smiled. “You’re my wife. If I don’t know what’s on your mind, who will?”

She fell silent but couldn’t help thinking about his Dr. Handsome persona and how