Chapter 257

"Lily, you're not actually falling for that penniless boy, are you?" Red exhaled a smoke ring, eyeing her skeptically. "In our line of work, developing real feelings is the worst mistake you can make. Remember what happened to Lucy? That man swindled her out of everything—money, dignity. She's still bedridden in the hospital."

Lily twirled a tube of lipstick between her fingers and scoffed. "Relax, Red. I just helped him because he reminded me of my brother." She reapplied her makeup in the mirror, her voice turning icy. "My mother's medical bills won't pay themselves. I don't have time for distractions."

"Good girl." Red patted her shoulder approvingly. "That coal tycoon tonight is loaded. Keep him happy, and those bills will vanish with a snap of his fingers."

They stepped into the glittering two-story villa—a den of debauchery where money burned like paper.

"I need to freshen up." Lily gestured toward the restroom.

The bathroom reeked of cheap perfume. Locking the door, Lily pulled a crumpled ten-dollar bill from her bra.

"Ten bucks?" She smirked. "Did that idiot really think this would—"

Her words died as she spotted four tiny pencil marks on the back: Call the police. Help me.

Her hand trembled violently.

In the kitchen, William deftly sliced braised beef. Old Hu fried peanuts beside him, the oil sizzling.

"Open up," William muttered, slipping a piece of meat to Old Hu when the overseer wasn't looking.

Old Hu chewed discreetly, gratitude flickering in his clouded eyes. In this hellhole, survival was measured day by day.

William's gaze drifted to the window. That girl Lily—she must have seen the message by now.

"Stop daydreaming! Get back to work!" The overseer, Monkey, kicked the stove, though his leer remained fixed on the gyrating figures in the villa across the way.

Late that night, the drunken tycoons staggered upstairs with their companions. William crouched by the kitchen's back door, staring at the starry sky.

He refused to die here. Dr. White had saved his life—not for him to rot as a slave. He still owed his brother and sister-in-law everything. He had to escape.

Back in her rented room, Lily studied the bill under the dim light.

"Call the police. Help me..." Her whisper hung in the air as the young man's pale face flashed in her mind.

She knew exactly how powerful these coal tycoons were. Meddling meant suicide.

With a sharp inhale, she shoved the bill into her bottom drawer.

(To be continued...)