chapter1300

Lucinda felt like her mind had just exploded.

As she scrolled, things only grew worse. There were photos of girls, their eyes covered and limbs tied. Close-ups of little bags filled with white powder. Another photo showed a table splattered with blood, the kind you'd only see in nightmares. Every image seemed to punch her straight in the gut, leaving her shaken and breathless.

Her stomach twisted so hard she nearly threw up.

Her hands shook as she tried to exit the group chat, but in her panic, she opened another conversation by mistake. This one was between Grace and someone called "Fang."

Fang: [There's a problem with the latest shipment. The buyer's not happy. Handle it fast.]

Grace: [Relax. I've already sent someone to fix it.]

Fang: [Hurry up with the organs, too. The client keeps pushing.]

Grace: [I know. I'm looking for the right candidate. Things are tense right now, not easy.]

Lucinda's heart pounded so hard she thought it might burst through her ribs. Sweat soaked her back.

She couldn't believe it. The Grace who always cared for her, who seemed gentle and loving, was involved in all this. The ten billion in assets was all dirty money.

She flung her phone onto the bed, then hugged her knees, curling into the corner as if she could make herself disappear.

Those pictures wouldn't leave her mind. The empty eyes of those girls, the families destroyed by drugs, and the bodies lying on those tables after their organs had been taken... She felt like she couldn't breathe, like she was somehow tangled up in all this evil herself.

Time passed before her panic slowly faded.

Why did Grace give her this? Why wrap all this up as a birthday present? Grace had said it was valuable. Did she mean this? Was this some kind of trap?

The anger came suddenly. But then she remembered what she needed. She needed money, a lot of it, to hire that assassin.group. Ten billion could

d do everything she wanted.

While she hesitated, her phone suddenly lit up and vibrated.

The caller ID was Night Eagle.

She jumped, almost dropping the phone. It rang once, then again. Her nerves were

shot. She hung up and quickly switched the phone off.

She needed to talk to Grace. Why did

she have to lose that letter? She

though

getting this phone would

solve her questions but instead all she found was crime and filth.

But what about the money? Lydia couldn't see, Connor was gone. Wasn't this the perfect chance?

After a long pause, she whispered, "I'll just borrow it."

"That's right. Once I find the killer and everything's done, I'll pay back every cent."

She wasn't the one who did all this. Grace was. She was just borrowing the money for now.

That thought steadied her. Her hands stopped shaking.

No matter what, she had to stick to her plan.

Meanwhile, upstairs in the Norwood

er

house, Lucinda had no idea the police were watching her every move, including her meetings with Caspian. Lydia mulled it over, thinking the most important thing now was to find out what was off that phone.

Juna, rolling her eyes, said, She's got the phone now, and she'll be back next

week. We'll get our chance then, won't we?"