The two of them walked out of the lounge, one after the other. Gavin, who was sitting on a chair in the hallway, immediately stood up and took the iPadn handed him.


    Joel was also awake and looking at some documents. He seemed to be in much better spirits.


    "Ellie, you and Mr. Goodwin can go. I don''t need anyone to look after me," Joel told her.


    Eleanor hesitated. Gwenda then said, "Eleanor, go back to theb. I''ll stay here and keep an eye on things. I''ll let you know if anything happens."


    Eleanor had no choice but to nod. "Okay. Joel, I''m leaving then." She turned to Gwenda. "Call me if anything happens."


    After leaving the hospital,n drove Eleanor back to theb himself.


    Once there, Eleanor put on herb coat and prepared to head into thebs, whilen went to the office of theb director. In light of Faye''s assault, he intended to strengthen supervision and implement mental health screenings for the staff.


    ***


    Drexford.


    It had been over half a month since Vanessa Shannon arrived. She was staying in her mother''s apartment, one Vanessa had bought for her years ago, which now served as a stable home.


    However,pared to her former life, the thousand-square-foot apartment felt cramped and oppressive.


    Her mother was out all day and night, running around with her friends, and couldn''t even be bothered to cook her a proper meal. Vanessa hadn''t cooked for herself in a long time, but now she had no choice but to do it herself.


    She wished she couldpletely erase all her memories from before she was eighteen; they were nothing but a source of shame.


    Now, however, she had to recall the survival skills she''d learned back then: making noodles.


    But as she ate the nd, tasteless noodles, her frustration became uncontroble. Eventually, she pushed the bowl away, unable to swallow another bite.


    She took out her phone and opened her photo gallery. Sharp fear bit at her like a viper. The treatment for syphilis was long and painful.


    The symptoms were already showing on her body. A patch of ulcerated skin had appeared on her inner thigh, as ugly as a brand.


    She had gone to a local hospital the moment she arrived, enduring the sideways nces of strangers to get her medication. But the more she learned about the disease, the more terrified and hopeless she became.


    She had never imagined she would contract such a filthy disease. Lately, her physical and mental health had been teetering on the brink of copse.


    Just then, a rough knocking


    sounded at the door, apanied by a man''s coarse shout. "Iona


    Shannon, open up! Pay what you


    owe! Don''t think you can just hide!"


    Vanessa''s face went pale. Her mother''s creditors were here again.


    How much had she borrowed this time?


    "I know you''re in there! If you don''t open this door, I''m gonna break it down!" the voice outside grew more menacing.


    Vanessa clutched her phone, walked to the door, took a deep breath, and


    it


    then. Standing outside was


    the owner of the Golden Harvest, a local card room. She recognized him.


    "Where''s your mom? Tell her toe out and pay her debt. It''s been three months. It''s time to pay up."


    "How much does my mother owe you?" Vanessa asked, forcing herself to remain calm.


    "Last time she yed cards at my ce. With principal and interest, it''s three hundred thousand dors."


    "Three hundred thousand dors?" Vanessa couldn''t believe the number. Her mother had lost that much at a small card table?