Chapter 190: Betrayal

Seeing Melody Summers’s worried expression, Officer Roman Rhodes replied, "Rest assured, the police department has already notified the families of the girls they kidnapped to come and get them. Once they’ve had a chance to calm down... social services will arrange for them to have medical examinations."

"Right now, both The Crestview Hotel and Adler Enterprises have been seized. The costs for the girls’ examinations and subsequent treatment will be paid for out of the seized assets."

Melody Summers felt relieved to hear this, but then she asked with some lingering concern, "But what about the girls who are temporarily homeless? What will happen to them?"

Many of the girls’ parents had died in the natural disasters. After their parents passed away, their homes and property were seized by relatives, and they themselves were sold off...

Melody Summers worried that even after being rescued, these girls would have nowhere to go. All alone, how could they stand up to the wicked relatives who ganged up on them?

Then there were girls like Joelle Lawson, who was sold by her own parents. Even if she’s rescued and sent home, it’s like sending her right back into the wolf’s den. She might just get sold off again...

Officer Roman Rhodes answered, "For now, those girls have been placed in government disaster relief centers, where they’ll be given food and water. The police will then handle each girl’s situation on a case-by-case basis, depending on their family’s circumstances."

If any relatives took advantage of the chaos to seize property or were involved in the trafficking, the government will not let them get away with it.

Just today, they finished handling the case of a girl named "Louise" who was rescued from The Crestview Hotel.

"Louise’s" real name is Lucy White. She was sold to The Crestview Hotel by her aunt’s family.

A few months ago, Lucy White’s father passed away from complications caused by the extreme heat. Shortly after he was gone, her mother, hoping to cut living costs, took Lucy to live with her aunt.

Lucy White’s mother thought her bond with her sister was strong and that their two families could look after each other. But she never imagined her aunt’s family would tie them up, mother and daughter, and sell them to The Crestview Hotel, while her aunt and uncle seized their house and property.

As soon as Lucy White’s mother was sold to The Crestview Hotel, she was taken for tissue matching. After finding a match, they harvested her organs, and she tragically died. Only Lucy White survived.

Today, the police went to their home, dragged out the aunt and uncle who sold Lucy White, and executed them on the spot. The rest of the aunt and uncle’s family were also evicted from Lucy White’s house.

The police arranged for Lucy White to be taken home and instructed the neighborhood’s emergency office to look after her. They also helped her contact reliable relatives—her uncle’s family—to help care for her.

The police will handle cases like this one by one, ensuring every trafficked person is properly settled.

Melody Summers’s heart was put at ease. She then asked, "What about Joelle Lawson? Did her mother, Noelle Quillan, take her home?"

Melody Summers wasn’t even sure if Noelle Quillan was still alive. Back in the basement, Joelle Lawson hadn’t mentioned her.

Officer Roman Rhodes was taken aback. He opened his mouth but said nothing, looking hesitant.

Meeting Melody Summers’s confused gaze, Officer Roman Rhodes sighed and shook his head. "That Joelle Lawson... she won’t be getting out anytime soon..."

Melody Summers didn’t understand. She asked in confusion, "Why? Is it because they couldn’t contact her family?"

Officer Roman Rhodes shook his head. "There were eight girls, including her, in the batch brought to The Crestview Hotel. Five of them planned an escape. They almost succeeded, but Joelle Lawson betrayed them at the last minute and tipped off the kidnappers at the hotel..."

Hearing this from Roman Rhodes, not only Melody Summers, but even Grandma and Miss Lowell were shocked. They gasped in unison, "What?!"

As Melody Summers and the others stared in disbelief, Officer Roman Rhodes continued, "The six of them had actually made it outside The Crestview Hotel, but then Joelle Lawson led the enforcers to them..."

"All six of them were dragged back to The Crestview Hotel. The other five were taken to have their organs harvested that very night. They all died on the operating table. But Joelle Lawson, because of what she did, earned the kidnappers’ trust."

"According to our investigation, Joelle Lawson became very close with the criminal organization at The Crestview Hotel. She should know a lot of their inside information, so she’s been detained and is awaiting further interrogation."

Melody Summers frowned deeply. Joelle Lawson wasn’t even eighteen yet. Before the disasters, she was just a high school student. To think she could so naturally fall in with those kidnappers from The Crestview Hotel and do something like this.

’Those were five human lives!’

Melody Summers had felt a shred of pity for Joelle Lawson before. Though she was an illegitimate daughter, she hadn’t chosen her circumstances. Moreover, she grew up in a family that favored sons over daughters, was treated like a slave by Joel Lawson from a young age, and then was sold by her own father after the disasters. It was truly pitiable.

But now, that sympathy seemed utterly misplaced. Compared to Joelle Lawson, the five girls she’d gotten killed were the truly innocent ones.

They had remained calm in the face of danger and actively tried to save themselves. They were so close to succeeding, only to be dragged back into the abyss by Joelle Lawson.

’Maybe their families are still waiting for them to come home for dinner. But their bright futures were cut short on an operating table for illegal organ harvesting.’

Grandma sighed. "That little girl... to be so cruel at such a young age. Who on earth did she inherit that from?"

The living room fell silent.

Seeing the somber mood, Officer Roman Rhodes tried to comfort Melody Summers. "You performed a great service with this Crestview Hotel case. I’ve already reported it to the department and applied for a personal commendation for you. There should also be a cash reward."

The cash reward was secondary. These civic honors would be entered into her permanent record, which would be a great help when Melody Summers looked for a job in the future.

Melody Summers replied, a little embarrassed, "There’s no need for a cash reward. It was just the right thing to do."

’Compared to honors and cash rewards, what I’d really like is more Peach Blossom Value.’

Officer Roman Rhodes smiled. "You deserve it. Ever since we took down the criminal den at The Crestview Hotel, the number of daily trafficking and kidnapping cases has dropped significantly."

The police investigation revealed that Kenneth Adler and Flynn Adler had started colluding with illegal factions in Southeast Archanea even before the volcanic eruption, running a racket of human trafficking and organ trading.

And even before the eruption, some countries in Southeast Archanea had already fallen into anarchy. Warlords from various armed groups had carved out their own territories, treating human life as worthless. The region had become a hub for the illegal organ and human trafficking trade.

Thinking of the common people struggling to survive the natural disasters, who not only had to evade nature’s wrath but also man-made calamities, everyone in the living room sighed.

Seeing that it was getting late, Officer Roman Rhodes stood up to leave.

Grandma quickly tried to persuade him to stay. "Leaving already? It’s dinnertime! Stay and have a meal with us!"

Officer Roman Rhodes brought many things every time he visited—rare seafood and meat. Grandma felt a little bad about it and hoped he would stay for dinner so she could play the part of a gracious host.

Roman Rhodes smiled and shook his head. "I can’t. There’s still work at the station, so I have to get back. I’ll have to try your cooking next time."

Although kidnapping cases had decreased, remnant forces from Adler Enterprises were still active, and Kenneth Adler had not yet been captured. As the officer in charge of the case, Roman Rhodes needed to get back to oversee the situation.

Seeing this, Grandma, Melody, and Miss Lowell didn’t insist, and they all stood up to see Roman Rhodes out.

But just as the four of them stood up, a piercing alarm suddenly blared—

Melody Summers’s heart jumped. The sound seemed to be coming from the second floor of the villa. She immediately realized it was the alarm on the second-floor window!

Melody Summers exclaimed, "This is bad! Someone’s trying to break into the villa!"