Quentin chuckled, a hint of mischief dancing in his eyes. “She’s not yummy, kiddos. Scram,” he said with a dismissive wave. The children nodded and scuttled away. Crossing his arms, Quentin gazed at Maja, who had passed out cold on the floor. He watched her for a moment before reaching out and gently tapping her nose with his finger. Then, he left the room. Outside, a woman who had been buried in dirt moments ago was now sitting on the ground, frantically pulling at her hair. “How many does that make, Quentin? How many?” she wailed. “Teacher, you gotta hide. She’s no pushover,” Quentin advised with a smirk. “I know, I’ll do as you say, Quentin. Maybe tonight you could spare me. No torture tonight?” Quentin covered his mouth to stifle a laugh, his usually cold demeanor taking on a seductive charm. “Sure thing. Tonight, I’ll give you a break. You’ve been putting on quite the show lately. I can hardly tell what’s real.” Grateful, the woman knelt and began to bow her head repeatedly. “I’m not worthy. You’re the best, Quentin.” Quentin laughed again, “Get up, teacher. I’ve got my eye on new prey, so I won’t be hitting you for a while.” “Thank you, Quentin, thank you.” Her tone was numb, making it hard to imagine what she’d been through to end up like this. Quentin touched the tattoo at the back of his neck, his lips curving into a smile. The woman shivered at his smile and suddenly hugged herself tightly, scooting backwards. “Cynthia, I’m sorry, Cynthia.” “Teacher, stop losing it and find somewhere to hide.” At his words, she clutched her head and scurried away. Quentin took a deep breath and rubbed his temples. The group of children watched hungrily, as if the woman was some sort of delicacy they were itching to devour. His voice was gentle as he addressed them. “Go rest up.” The children obediently nodded, their demeanor sweet in her presence. But Maja was oblivious to this eerie scene. It wasn’t until she woke up the next day with the world spinning that she realized something was off. Quentin brought her a thermometer to check her temperature. “Maja, you’re running a fever,” he said. Feeling the heat, Maja shook her head, “Any word from the Brennans?” “Yes, the construction crew for the cottage is still at it. Got a deed transfer this morning. The land around here is all mine now.” Maja sighed with relief and patted his shoulder, “That’s good to hear.” “Maja, you interested in heading to Middle Island? With Troy’s resources, he could probably arrange it if you negotiate.” Of course, Maja wanted to go. She needed to find Ian quickly. She had Quentin buy a cell phone for each of them. After taking some pregnancy-safe fever reducers, she went to negotiate with Troy. “Troy, I won’t devalue my shares, but you have to help me find someone.” The Brennans were a top-tier family on Outer Island, with a network that

how deeply BK’s influence had penetrated here. Better safe than sorry. If Ian were on Outer Island, he’d understand what Penny meant. Now, she sat in the Brennan estate, while Alva knelt outside the grand hall by Troy’s decree, waiting for Maja to forgive her personally. Alva was seething, fists clenched tight. Inside, Maja sipped tea while Troy kept her company. “Ms. Pennyfeather, my people have been searching for a day and haven’t found the person you described.” “Troy, I’ll give it another day. If there’s still no news, you’ll have to get me to Middle Island.” Troy nodded, letting out a sigh. “Ms. Pennyfeather, I’m cooperating because I don’t want to see the Brennan name fall. Your boldness, I’m not sure if it’s


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