Chapter 130: Selling Her Off
Raylee had no idea where Samuel was taking her or what he intended to do with her. Suddenly, Samuel made a phone call. “Caz, I’ve got Raylee. Get ready on your end. We had no other choice. This stubborn girl wouldn’t listen, so we had to take tougher measures. Let’s just stick to the plan.”
The moment she heard the name “Caz,” realization hit her—Casimir was involved in this too. So, they had planned this all along. If she refused to call off the engagement, they were going to carry out the kidnapping no matter what.
Raylee’s eyes burned with rage. She never imagined Casimir would sink to Samuel’s level. Why would he do this to me? she thought. Does he think I haven’t suffered enough?
Bitterness, disappointment, and fury boiled within her, consuming her whole being. She hated herself for ever being blind enough to fall for Casimir.
After Samuel ended the call, he caught sight of the seething hatred in Raylee’s eyes through the rearview mirror. Completely unbothered, he said, “Since you already heard, I won’t hide it from you anymore. Yeah, this was Caz and my idea from the start. I figured after Grandma talked to you, you’d wise up and call off the marriage. Didn’t expect you to go against her words and even convince her to let you marry that…sembag. Since you insist on being stubborn, there’s no need for me to be polite anymore.”
Samuel drove for over an hour, finally arriving in the outskirts of town. A white van was already waiting for them. He helped Raylee out of the car and shoved her toward the van. Turning to the driver, he said, “Once you drop her off, someone will meet you there.”
The driver gave him a nod. “Don’t worry, boss. I’ll get the job done.”
Inside the van, Raylee sat in the pitch-dark compartment, an overwhelming sense of fear wrapping around her like a vice. A strong stench of alcohol filled the air. In the dim glow of the dashboard, she saw the driver guzzling from a bottle of liquor. After downing half of it in one go, he let out a loud belch, his hands visibly unsteady on the wheel. The van started picking up speed.
Drunk driving? Raylee cursed Samuel a thousand times over in her head. Not only had they kidnapped her, but they couldn’t even find a competent driver. Instead, they hired a drunkard. Is this a kidnapping or an outright murder attempt?!
Just then, the driver’s phone rang. He picked up, slurring, “Quit nagging! You keep rushing me like you want me in the grave! We’re almost there, all right? Now let me drink in peace…”
The moment he hung up, he floored the gas pedal. The sudden jolt sent Raylee tumbling forward, her head slamming into the seat in front of her. A sharp pain shot through her skull, and for a brief moment, her vision blurred, everything dissolving into a hazy fog.
After what felt like an eternity on the bumpy road, the van finally screeched to a stop. Still dazed from the ride, Raylee barely registered her surroundings when a pungent, overpowering perfume filled the air.
A flirtatious, raspy female voice rang out, “My, my! Look at this one. So thin, just like a little monkey. How long has she been starving?” As the woman spoke, she ripped the tape off Kaylee’s mouth.
“Wow, what a pretty face. So pure, so fresh. What a treat. She’ll do just fine. A little skinny, but some clients prefer this type.”
Raylee’s eyes shot open. An older woman, heavily made up and likely in her fifties or sixties, stood before her, counting out cash to the van driver. Realization slammed into Raylee like a truck. Her mind snapped back into focus, her breath hitching in disbelief. “Where’s…?”
The driver, still slurring, chuckled. “Samuel? You mean the guy who put you in the van? He’s long gone. Might as well accept your fate.”
The madam laughed. “Listen, sweetheart,” she said, smirking. “This is the red-light district. There’s no escape. If you don’t want to suffer…you’d better behave.” She patted Raylee’s cheek and continued, “From today on, I’m your boss. As long as you make me money…I’ll treat you well.”
“What? The red-light district?” Raylee’s entire body went rigid. She knew exactly what kind of place this was. A woman’s nightmare. A man’s paradise. A hellhole where bodies were sold like cheap goods. She had assumed that, at worst, Samuel and Casimir would lock her up somewhere unfamiliar. Maybe even send her abroad. Never in her worst nightmares did she think they would sell her into a brothel.