Vincent simply embraced her, offering comfort in silence.

The night air rustled around them. Katelyn wasn’t cold; instead, she was overwhelmed by a surge of emotions, challenging her composure. It was clear to her that maintaining their current dilemma would yield no positive outcomes. She made a decision to take a risk.

Exhaling quietly, she gently pushed away from Vincent’s embrace and murmured, “Alright, if you survive the cancellation of your engagement, then I’ll consider a future with you.”

Vincent stiffened. He stepped back, his gaze lingering on her with a mixture of surprise and relief. He managed a smile. “Alright.” Their brief exchange conveyed deep mutual understanding.

Katelyn turned and headed towards Samuel’s vehicle, a faint smile gracing her features. Given the circumstances, she figured she might as well bet on the possibility of a different outcome. What if they succeeded?

Their journey back was marked by an uncharacteristically light mood. Katelyn reopened her laptop and resumed her efforts to track down Sophia’s whereabouts. Yet, Sophia seemed to have vanished into thin air.

Vincent noticed Katelyn’s concerned expression and reassured her gently. “Don’t worry too much. Now that we know they’re in Yata, I’ll track them down eventually.”

Katelyn had no doubts about Vincent’s capabilities. What puzzled her was something else. She turned to Vincent with a questioning look. “Why haven’t they killed Zoey yet? From everything we know, the T Organization isn’t known for its compassion.”

Under normal circumstances, anyone else would have been reduced to ashes by now. Yet, Zoey was still breathing. Despite the evident signs of torture, it was unusual for them to spare Zoey’s life, especially considering the nerve toxin found in Neil, which highlighted Sophia’s ruthlessness. Neil’s condition was deteriorating, with no cure in sight. Zoey’s situation was oddly different.

Katelyn struggled to understand the cause. “What’s keeping her alive?”

As Vincent navigated the road thoughtfully, he said, “Maybe Zoey has angered someone within the T Organization, and they’re prolonging her suffering as punishment?”

That scenario seemed to be the only likely explanation for Zoey’s continued survival. Those who were there merely for trade would have been killed while their organs were still valuable enough to be sold. They would never have been subjected to such torture. After enduring such extensive abuse, Zoey’s organs were undoubtedly damaged beyond repair, and they certainly wouldn’t bring in a good price.

Katelyn was left in shock. She gave serious thought to how convincing this explanation was. She asked further, eyebrows knitted, “If she’s angered someone, who could it be? Sophia?”

That hypothesis didn’t hold up. If Sophia were directly involved, Zoey would likely be subjected to various toxins, her body hurt by controlled substances, not merely worn down by physical abuse.

When Katelyn had accessed the live feed earlier, she had scrutinized Zoey’s appearance closely. Apart from looking thin and exhausted from mistreatment, there were no indications of chemical poisoning. Thus, Sophia didn’t fit the profile.

“It doesn’t seem to be her, yet for Sophia to keep Zoey close suggests someone with even greater authority within the T Organization is involved—someone Sophia must answer to.”

If someone higher than Sophia was orchestrating this, Katelyn was at a loss to identify who that might be. She closed her laptop with a soft sigh, looking through the windshield.

“I can’t pinpoint it, but I feel Zoey might be our key to uncovering the mastermind. I just haven’t figured out how yet.”

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