?Chapter 276:


    Judie surmised that Eileen must live in the same building as Bailee, given how quickly Eileen had arrived in her pajamas.


    At the moment, however, Judie’s mind was elsewhere. “Eileen! You have to help Roderick!” she eximed.


    “What happened?” Eileen inquired, her voiceced with concern. The distress evident on Judie’s face prompted Eileen to ask, “Where is he?”


    Tears cascaded down Judie’s cheeks. Roderick was her husband, and he had always treated her kindly.


    She said, “Your biological mother gambled away too much, and now she can’t cover the debt. She wanted toe to you to borrow money, but the loan sharks refused to let her leave, so they took Roderick hostage.”


    Eileen felt a wave of dizziness wash over her. Her mind was already frazzled by her own troubles with Denise and ack of sleep. Now, Judie’s desperate pleas rang in her ears, pushing her to the brink.


    Just then, Bryan stepped out of the elevator and rushed to Eileen’s side, supporting her before she could copse. His eyes narrowed as he fixed a stern gaze on Judie. “How dare you show your face here?” he said. “Are you looking for trouble?”


    He was seething with rage. Startled, Judie’s legs gave out, causing her to stumble backward and copse onto the floor.


    Tears cascaded down her cheeks as she said, “Eileen, you must save Roderick. They’ve only given us a week, and today marks the final day!”


    Judie had deliberately left Denise behind, fearing Denise’s harsh attitude might influence Eileen.


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    What if Eileen became so enraged that she refused to help Roderick?


    “Where exactly is Roderick? Give me the contact details for these people,” Eileen said, trying to maintain herposure.


    A flicker of hope shone in Judie’s eyes. “He’s held in South Town by a notorious thug named Bagot Fowler, who always deals in this kind of stuff. Someone powerful is protecting him; he hase close to killing before yet remains untouchable.”


    She pulled out her phone and showed the number to Eileen.


    Eileen noted the digits and responded icily, “You can leave now. I’ll take it from here. And don’t show your face around here again.”


    “Okay!” Judie quickly replied. She rose, dried her tears, and made her way to the elevator. Before leaving, she added, “Eileen, your biological mother owes them half a million dors. Even though you only want to rescue Roderick, that debt still needs settling…”


    It was a roundabout way of acknowledging she owed Eileen at most.


    She didn’t have the money, and she was hinting that she wouldn’t pay it.


    Eileen, well acquainted with Judie’s antics, wasn’t taken aback by her im.


    She said, “Who said I was nning to pay back the money? I have plenty of strategies to rescue Roderick. And paying the money back? That’s Denise’s concern, not mine!”


    South Town was notorious for itsx security; it was a small, troubled locale.


    To the untrained eye, Bagot appeared to be a formidable viin of the area. However, to anyone versed in thew, Bagot posed little threat.


    The flight from Onnd to South Town took two hours, and Eileen made the journey herself, eager to rescue Roderick as soon as possible.


    For her, the deepest sorrow stemmed not from Denise’s gambling problem but from the fact that Denise had handed over her son to those people. Eileen clenched her jaw in frustration.


    How could Denise im to be a mother?


    It was a distressing thought, picturing how Roderick had endured thest couple of days.


    Bryan had already arranged transportation in advance. Uponnding in South Town, they drove for over an hour on a winding mountain road to reach the outskirts of the town.


    The area was pleasant, with excellent transportation links. Those who settled here couldfortably support their families through diligent work.


    This was the reason Eileen had rmended Roderick return.


    Regarding the loan sharks, they wouldn’t coerce people into borrowing unless they chose to, so they rarely impacted the lives of ordinary people.


    The mountainous road, with its numerous bumps and dips, almost made Eileen sick.


    Bryan had been her steadfast supporter throughout the journey. He had reservations about hering here, but she was adamant.


    He didn’t know if she wanted to see her brother, Roderick, or if she didn’t want him to worry about her matters anymore. He honored her choice, yet insisted on not letting her travel alone. Eileen understood his concerns and didn’t object to him apanying her.


    Thus, when they reached the local police station and hinted at issues involving Bagot, the officers promptly followed them and detained the moneylenders without hesitation.


    This left no opportunity for Eileen to utilize the expert knowledge she had learned from Julio.


    Bagot, unable to escape, muttered curses under his breath but was visibly shaken by the stern gaze of the police officers.


    Bagot’s supposed hideout looked like a small factory from the outside but was actually a bustling casino. In the end, over twenty individuals were apprehended.


    When Eileen inquired about Roderick, Bagot realized Denise was the problem. She hadn’t given him any money back and had only caused him trouble.


    “I confess I broke thew by holding him against his will,” Bagot said. “I’ll release him. But Denise owes me money, and I have the proof right here.”


    Bagot was about to argue that while charging high interest might be illegal, he was entitled to reim the principal amount of a hundred thousand dors. His years in this line of work had sometimes led him to settle for just the principal amount.


    Eileen, however, was unwilling to negotiate. Aware of Bagot’s involvement in gambling and other dubious activities that could send him to prison for life, she stood firm.


    She wasn’t concerned about how Denise would handle her debt to Bagot, so she interjected, “I’m taking Roderick with me. You can settle your dispute with Denise on your own.”


    Bagot was taken aback. So, this woman hadn’te to mess with him; she simply wanted to take Roderick away. He quickly gestured toward a hovel behind him. “Fine. He’s in there. You can take him away now.”


    The environment here was deplorable. The path to the hovel was cluttered with garbage and broken roots. The hovel had no windows, and the door was locked. But Roderick could have broken the door if he had chosen to flee.


    However, the moment Eileen opened the door, she understood why Roderick had not attempted to escape. Roderick, too battered to consider fleeing, dropped to his knees as soon as the door creaked open, hands pressed together in desperate plea. “I didn’t take out the loan. It was my mother, not me. Please, let me go. I’ll work hard, save up, and pay everything back. I beg you. Or, if you must, just kill me! Just don’t hit me again…”


    Once somewhat plump, Roderick had lost a noticeable amount of weight. It waste fall, and the room felt distinctly cold, yet he was d only in a short-sleeved t-shirt.


    Both old and fresh scars marred his arms.


    His appearance was disheveled, his body covered in a mix of dust, ash, and bits of grass. The hovelcked a basic bed; the floor was cold and damp.


    How had he managed to survive thest few days here? “Roderick…” Eileen’s voice quivered as she spoke his name.


    At the sound, Roderick’s body tensed, and he abruptly stopped his pleading to look up.


    The daylight streaming through the door was so bright that Roderick couldn’t see Eileen’s and Bryan’s faces clearly.


    His eyes widened as he eximed in disbelief, “Eileen? No… is this really happening?”


    “He’s not dumb. I scared him a bit; that’s all,” Bagot rified from outside the hovel. “Why the act, Roderick? Your sister is indeed here!”


    At Bagot’s outburst, Roderick trembled, daring only a sidelong nce to confirm if it really was Eileen. Eileen turned to give Bagot an icy stare, silencing him instantly.


    When she looked away, Roderick caught a full view of her face and broke down in tears. Despite being in his twenties, he wept openly, abandoning all pride. Hecked even the strength to stand, instead crawling to Eileen’s feet and clutching her leg as he cried,


    “All the kindness you’ve shown your sister wasn’t for nothing. She rushed here the moment she knew you were in trouble. Had you reached out to her earlier like I suggested, you could have avoided all this pain,” Bagot said, trying to appear benevolent in front of Eileen and Bryan.


    “Miss Curtis, your mother told me she was looking for you. I asked Roderick for your number so that he could call for help, maybe even some money, but he refused. I urged him multiple times, yet he just wouldn’t do it. Ended up smashing his phone.”


    Eileen’s vision blurred, her heart heavy with sorrow. “I won’t leave! My sister never borrowed that money. She shouldn’t have to pay it!” Roderick believed he was free to leave because he had settled Denise’s debt.


    He slumped back to the corner, turning away with resolve.


    “This is thest time we meet, Eileen. From now on, Denise and I will have nothing to do with you!”


    “I haven’t paid the money back,” Eileen’s voice shook slightly. “Let Denise handle her debts. I’m just here to take you away.”


    Roderick paused, his gaze shifting between Eileen and Bagot.


    Bagot said, “She hasn’t paid anything. I’ll ask your mother for the moneyter.”


    Convinced, Roderick’s emotions overflowed, tears streaming down his face.


    Eileen approached him and stooped to help Roderick stand up. “Stop crying. Let’s get out of here.”


    Struggling to lift Roderick alone, Eileen was soon assisted by Bryan, and together, they helped Roderick to his feet. Despite the harsh conditions, Roderick was well-fed and unharmed internally, capable of walking on his own. Noticing his dirty clothes, which starkly contrasted with Eileen’s and Bryan’s clean attire, he quickly pulled back his hand, opting not to let them touch him.


    “I can walk on my own,” he said.


    At times, he seemed foolish to paint off transportation. Eileen often found herself frustrated by his simple-mindedness.


    Yet, his thoughtfulness was so profound that it evoked pity.


    Eileen vividly remembered Roderick owning a house in South Town, yet he led them to a cramped apartment instead.


    The ce was dismal. A musty, metallic scent filled the air, and the scant furniture was falling apart.


    The taps were dry; Roderick hadn’t paid the water bill for a while.


    Lacking even the means for a shower, Roderick meticulously cleaned two chairs with a rag and motioned for Eileen and Bryan to sit.


    Overwhelmed by sadness, Eileen remained standing, her mind racing with questions about Roderick’s hardships over the past year.


    Yet, she found herself unable to voice them, her silence seeming to confirm to Roderick that she was disgusted by the condition here.


    Clutching the rag, Roderick said, “Eileen, you can leave now. And don’te back. Ignore whatever Mom and Judie tell you; you can just leave me be. You don’t need to consider us your family anymore.”


    Despite not having repaid Denise’s debts, Eileen had journeyed thousands of miles from Onnd, driven by concern for him.


    It was clear to him that Denise would bring Eileen even more trouble in the days toe.


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