The man who opened the door was tall, slightly taller than Elijah. His skin was fair, but not delicate. It was the rough kind of fair. His hair was combed back, and he had deep blue eyes that were incredibly profound. His facial features were sharp and well-defined, but he wasn’t the type to immediately stun people. He was the kind that grew on you. He turned to the side and said, “I’ve been waiting for you.”
Elijah walked in. His suit was wrinkled from the back and forth running around without rest. The collar of his shirt was slightly open, and he had a hint of stubble on his chin. But it didn’t diminish his good looks. It only added a touch of ruggedness to his mature masculinity.
Elijah sat down on the couch and moved his neck. After sitting for a long time, his neck had become stiff.
Rod Lofic sat across from him and asked, “Where are the documents?”
Elijah threw the files onto the table.
Rod Lofic was from the Lofic family. The head of the Lofic family was nearing eighty years old and had a heart condition. His time was running out, so the matter of succession naturally had to be addressed. In fact, several qualified heirs had been vying for the inheritance rights; Rod Lofic was one of them. He collaborated with Elijah in order to gain control of the family’s inheritance.
Just as Rod Lofic was about to reach for the documents, Elijah pressed them down and looked deeply into his eyes. “You know what I want.”
“I know. I will do as I promised. You agreed to cooperate with me because you were interested in my background, right?”
Elijah did not deny it. Rod Lofic had a powerful family. His grandfather was still a member of the cabinet and had influence in the government. The incident involved Freya was just an opportunity for Country M to exploit. Rescuing someone wasn’t actually that difficult; in Country M, money was important. For example, Rod Lofic’s grandfather needed money to maintain his position in the government and have a say in politics. And the Lofic family was a wealthy family. Of course, they wanted their grandson to succeed. This way, they could support each other. Collusion between officials and businessmen could go a long way. So, Rod Lofic and Elijah’s collaboration had the approval of Rod’s grandfather.
“She is currently being secretly detained. You know we have political factions in our country, and the people who are holding her are the ones my grandfather opposes. They have interrogated her multiple times, but it seems they haven’t gotten the desired results, which is why they resorted to forced confinement. But don’t worry, my grandfather has joined forces with members of the party to rescue her.”
Elijah understood that Rod’s grandfather was acting out of self-interest.
“This document will give you control. Take a look.”
With that said, Elijah leaned back, his seemingly calm face already in turmoil because of Rod’s words. But he restrained himself. Without a doubt, Freya must have been forcefully detained, and she might have been mistreated.
“I can help you rise to power, but I need to see her tomorrow.” Elijah’s words carried a strong tone.
Roxen looked at the document in his hands. It was a contract that could allow him to collaborate with Wes. Once he signed this contract, Wes would provide him with ten million tons of oil annually. The resources in their hands had been depleting over time. This successful collaboration would undoubtedly be a lifeline. At the same time, it would serve as proof of his influence to the family.
“I’ll make a phone call.” Rod said.
Elijah raised his hand, signaling that he could proceed.
Rod set down the document and walked to another room to make the call. He returned shortly after.
“It’s a go.”
…
Freya felt a bit disoriented. She had been in the dark for too long, and the sudden light made it hard for her to adjust. She shielded her eyes with her hand.
“If you’re willing to talk and say that you were instructed, we can release you now.”
Freya’s throat was dry, unable to produce a sound. She didn’t dare put her hand down, the intense light causing pain in her eyes. She caught a whiff of a scent. It was the smell of food. She put her hand down, trying to locate where the food was, but the light prevented her from opening her eyes.
Although they wanted to use Freya, they didn’t dare to use excessive force on her. On one hand, if they did, it would escalate the conflict. There were also opposing parties within their own party who were against their actions. Under pressure from all sides, they could only resort to mental torment to make her speak.
“Do you want water? Do you want food?” They placed delicious food and water in front of Freya.
“As long as you admit that you’re a spy, that you deliberately leaked the data, all of this can be yours.”
Freya could only squint her eyes, her cracked lips oozing blood, her throat dry and sore. She weakly shook her head.
“You’re so stubborn!”
Freya’s willpower was astonishing.
“I don’t believe she can hold on forever. Let’s stay here and see how long she can endure!”
Others doubted that Freya could resist the temptation of food and remain indifferent. She could endure for a while. Could she endure it indefinitely? She was a pregnant woman with a growing belly. Perhaps due to extreme hunger, her sense of smell became heightened. The scent of the food was like an addictive poison, slowly eroding her will.
Freya stared at the food, her lips subtly moving. In order to tempt her, the person who had just spoken brought the food to her mouth. “You don’t have to torture yourself like this. I can give you all of this food.”
Freya began to blur. She suddenly curled her lips. In this era, probably no one had experienced the feeling of starving, right? But she had. This wasn’t the first time. The first time was with Elijah. She remembered that time when she went nearly three days without a drop of water.
“You don’t care about yourself, or even your child?”
Freya curled up her body. A faint ache began in her lower abdomen. As someone who had given birth before, she knew what this meant. Her hands clenched tightly.
“Let… me… go.”
Her voice was extremely hoarse. These few words strained her throat, causing pain.
“Tell us, and we’ll let you go.” They felt that Freya was starting to give in.
Indeed, Freya was wavering. She could sacrifice herself but not her child.
“You wouldn’t want your child to die, would you? We won’t let him die. Instead, we’ll torture him inhumanely, making him cry in agony…”
Freya seemed to hear the screams they had played in her ears… She was startled and hugged her head, painfully sobbing.
“No… please, it hurts…”
Her belly was increasingly painful. The contractions were not sporadic. They were continuous. Warm liquid trickled down her legs. She had no strength left to give birth now. Even breathing became difficult. Lights flickered before her eyes, making her see countless figures.
“I… I…”
“Speak up!”
Suddenly, the door was pushed open, and a group of people rushed in!