Chapter 1685:


    The faintmotion tugged at Katelyn’s senses. Her gaze flickered toward the movement, her instincts prickling. Something was off. But she didn’t recognize Alfy—Alfy’s face was still veiled under the same disguise she had worn earlier.


    What did catch Katelyn’s attention, however, was the fresh batch of women that had just been ushered in. Their wide, fear-stricken eyes, the stiff way they held themselves—it wasn’t hard to deduce that they were new.


    The audacity of these traffickers was beyond belief. Katelyn’s jaw clenched, her fury coiling tight like a viper preparing to strike. This ce—it needed to be obliterated.


    From the moment Katelyn stepped inside, the air had reeked of corruption, of unspeakable depravity. And the children on stage? Proof enough of the festering rot that lurked beneath the surface.


    Her fingers ghosted over the booklet on the table before her. The cover was deceptively elegant—intricate carvings of thorned roses, a marriage of beauty and cruelty. It exuded an air of forbidden temptation, the kind that lured in the depraved with a promise of indulgenceced with sin.


    Katelyn flipped it open. The contents were meticulous. Precise. Cold. A price list—except instead of goods, it cataloged human organs, flesh-for-sale, and horrors best left unspoken. To these people, women and children weren’t lives. They weremodities.


    Vincent, too, had glimpsed the pages when Katelyn opened them. The glint in his eyes turned de-sharp, but neither of them moved, their exteriors remaining impassive.


    A momentter, Katelyn set the booklet down with deliberate ease and turned to the attendant at her side. Her voice, soft yet unwavering, broke the silence. “Excuse me, where’s the restroom?”


    The attendant hesitated, his gaze flickering over her with subtle scrutiny. But the second his eyes met Vincent’s—cold, unyielding steel—he quickly averted his gaze, all trace of insolence vanishing. His tone became immediately respectful. “Right this way.”


    The weight of Vincent’s status pressed down like an unspoken threat, leaving the attendant visibly unsettled.


    Katelyn and Vincent exchanged the briefest of looks before she rose and followed. As Katelyn walked, her gaze swept over her surroundings, taking everything in.


    Suddenly, she stopped in her tracks. A woman was dragging another unconscious woman toward a side door. A chill crawled up Katelyn’s spine. Something wasn’t right.


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    The attendant, noticing Katelyn pause, inquired smoothly, “Is there something I can assist you with?”


    A simple question. But beneath the veneer of politenessy an implicit warning.


    Katelyn didn’t falter. She knew that anyone gaining entry into this ce possessed noble status. And even if she held no true rank, she would wield the illusion of power as though she did.


    Her lips curled into a slow, assessing smirk. “That one.” Katelyn gestured toward the unconscious woman, her toneced with cool indifference. “She’s quite the beauty. I want her. Price is irrelevant.”


    She knew exactly what fate awaited any woman dragged away like that. She hade for Alfy, but allowing another to disappear into the abyss? That wasn’t in her nature.


    The attendant followed her gaze, his expression subtly shifting as he saw the woman being taken away. For a split second, hesitation flickered in his eyes.


    A woman being hauled off like that? It meant one thing—she had broken the rules, which meant she was new, untamed. A woman like that, thrown into the hands of an elite guest, could spell trouble.


    The attendant gave Alfy a fleeting nce before shaking his head. “Apologies, sir, but that one isn’t avable for service.”


    Katelyn’s smile didn’t waver, but the warmth in her expression iced over in an instant. Her voice, though quiet, carried the unmistakable weight of authority. “What, afraid I can’t afford her? Hurry up, otherwise…”


    She didn’t finish her sentence, but the threat was clear enough.


    The attendant knew that those who coulde here were either rich or noble, and he couldn’t afford to offend them. He was caught in a dilemma. After a moment of consideration, he could only say to Katelyn, “Please wait a moment.”


    He didn’t say anything more but stepped outside, clearly tomunicate with someone higher up.


    Katelyn wasn’t in a hurry, and she stood there waiting. But her eyes were scanning her surroundings.


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    Message from Noa: Have a wonderful day dear readers. God loves you, and Noa wishes you all the best. (?? ? ??)?


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