She turned to Katelyn and said plainly, “If you don’t want to be with Vincent, you shouldn’t entangle yourself in this situation. It won’t benefit you.”
The power dynamics in Yata were far too complicated. Every decision could trigger a chain of effects. Even a minor error could lead to significant consequences.
While applying her makeup, Katelyn paused, set down her brush, and turned to face Ashlyn with resolve. “I’m prepared to take a risk.” Her straightforward declaration made Ashlyn stop short. She had once believed that Vincent was crazy. Now, it seemed that Katelyn was just as reckless.
Despite her best efforts to stay composed, Ashlyn couldn’t hide her excitement. She looked at Katelyn and smiled. “In this cruel world, you two truly stand out.”
Katelyn gave Ashlyn a weary look, massaging her temples. “You weren’t saying that last night.”
Yet, Ashlyn simply smiled, settled herself on the sofa, and regarded Katelyn with a relaxed gaze. “I just didn’t want you to end up in harm’s way.”
While love mattered, safety was important. Whatever decision Katelyn ultimately made, Ashlyn would not , as long as Katelyn had carefully considered it herself. Ultimately, it was Katelyn’s life to live. Friends could advise, but should avoid meddling too much in one another’s choices. Such restraint was fundamental in relationships.
Katelyn clearly grasped Ashlyn’s intent. She returned the smile warmly. “Don’t worry. No matter what path I choose, I’ll keep myself out of trouble.”
Convinced that Katelyn had thought things through, Ashlyn simply nodded in response. Then, remembering the urgency of their situation, she quickly changed the subject. “Have we found any more leads on Sophia’s associates?”
Catching Sophia remained an unattainable goal. Yet, uncovering any further evidence would still prove useful.
The mention of Sophia brought a headache to Katelyn. She settled beside Ashlyn and sighed. “Nothing yet. Even though Yata was their stronghold, they’ve covered their tracks well.”
Moreover, the bulk of her and Vincent’s forces were not stationed in Yata. This restriction hindered their efforts significantly.
Ashlyn exhaled a worried sigh. “Sophia’s like a ticking bomb, unpredictable.”
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Her anxiety was constant. She puzzled over what had drawn Sophia’s anger. Without Katelyn’s intervention, Sophia’s schemes might have already overwhelmed her.
Katelyn remained silent. There was little she could do currently. The motive behind abducting and harming Zoey still eluded her.
At that moment, Katelyn’s phone buzzed with an incoming message. She saw that it was from Jaxen.
His message read, “Here’s what Vincent and I uncovered last night. Please check it out.”
The message included several attachments. The images were grainy and dimly lit, yet Katelyn strained her eyes and discerned their content. Her eyes narrowed. The pictures showed Zoey being abducted. More disturbingly, Zoey was assaulted by a group of homeless men, while a vehicle that clearly belonged to Sophia, ominously parked nearby, overseeing the scene.
Ashlyn was intrigued by what Katelyn had seen that caused such a reaction. She moved in closer to get a better look.
Exclaiming in disgust, Ashlyn grimaced at the horrific scenes, gasped, and then hurried to the bathroom to splash cold water on her face before coming back.
Returning with a look of horror, she exclaimed, “Can these even be called humans? They’re behaving like monsters!”
The brutality inflicted upon the woman was evident in the images. Katelyn recalled the disgraceful acts Zoey had previously committed against her. Yet, the extent of the torment Zoey endured in the photos was beyond what Katelyn had envisioned. She didn’t have to give it a second thought to know what Zoey’s final fate would be. The level of malice required for such repeated cruelty was immense.
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