Neurotoxins weren’t something to take lightly. Katelyn remembered the lingering effects left on Neil’s body and couldn’t shake the worry that Ashlyn might face the same fate.

Ashlyn shook her head, a faint frown on her face, and said, “No, nothing. And Sophia hasn’t tried to contact me either. It’s like she vanished off the face of the earth.”

Part of her hoped Sophia would reach out. That way, she might get a lead on Sophia’s whereabouts. But as of now, there was nothing—no trace, no clue about Sophia.

Katelyn understood the weight behind Ashlyn’s words, but she shook her head and said, “You should warn your people. Sophia’s cruelty goes far beyond what you might think. If you can, tell them to hold back. Otherwise, they’ll face consequences.”

And the consequences she was talking about weren’t just about life or death. The T Organization’s methods were far too ruthless.

Ashlyn hadn’t had much interaction with Sophia, but from their few encounters, it was clear that Sophia wasn’t someone to be underestimated. Still, Katelyn’s warning sounded a bit too extreme. Could things really be that intense?

With a puzzled expression, Ashlyn met Katelyn’s gaze. “It can’t be that severe, can it?”

With grave sincerity, Katelyn warned Ashlyn, “It’s really as bad as you fear. She regards human life as trivial, and I fear it could endanger your whole family.”

For Ashlyn, personal danger was manageable. However, the threat extending to the Marshall family changed everything.

Shock paled Ashlyn’s complexion. Setting her wine glass down abruptly, she said, “I will pull back all my people.”

Katelyn acknowledged her decision with a nod. Without hesitation, Ashlyn messaged her team to retreat.

Katelyn reclined on the couch, sipping wine slowly. Her thoughts were tangled, making it hard to focus. Events had spiraled quickly. She felt overwhelmed, unsure which problem to tackle first.

Suddenly, her phone broke the silence. Katelyn pulled out her phone and glanced at the screen. It was a message from Jaxen. His message was brief. “Zoey has been found.”

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Jolted into action, Katelyn jumped from the couch, catching Ashlyn off guard.

“What’s happening?” Ashlyn asked, puzzled.

Katelyn didn’t respond. Instead, she walked toward the bedroom and took out the laptop she always kept with her.

Ashlyn sensed that something was wrong and walked over to Katelyn. Katelyn swiftly opened the tracking link Jaxen had provided and hacked into the necessary system. Her fingers flew over the keyboard, and soon, a secret site loaded on the screen.

The revelation visibly shocked Ashlyn. She gasped, hands covering her mouth, eyes wide as she stared at the display. The site’s carnal and brutal contents left her staggered. Her voice shaking, she managed to ask, “What is this…?”

As Katelyn continued her digital pursuit, she responded, “This is what the organization behind Sophia does. Yet what we’re seeing here barely scratches the surface of their true dark sides.”

In that instant, Ashlyn grasped the gravity of what Katelyn had previously warned. She had initially believed Katelyn was overstating the facts, that the reality couldn’t be as grim, but now she saw the truth. Katelyn’s earlier warnings had been subdued, almost understated. These people didn’t regard human beings as such; they viewed them as commodities.

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