Virginia knelt on one knee in the back of a van, jolting around as the vehicle drove through uneven roads. Eventually, it pulled up at an abandoned factory. The factory had a rust-covered roof, patched with pieces of corrugated zinc sheets in several places. Behind it was a dead-end canal—filthy and reeking, as if all of Halton's accumulated garbage had been dumped there to rot. Even from a distance, the stench was unbearable. Despite the hood covering her head, Virginia could already smell the overwhelming odor before she even got out of the van. She frowned deeply. The smell was nauseating ... Where on earth were these people taking her? Were they planning to kill her and dump her body here? As soon as the thought entered her mind, Virginia's entire body started trembling uncontrollably. "N-no! Please, no—" Samuel, seated across from her, watched her pathetic display with growing irritation. He lifted his foot and kicked her hard. "What the hell are you shaking for?" he snapped. "Weren't you all high and mighty just now when you were hurling insults? Where's all that bravado gone now?" Samuel's kick sent Virginia tumbling out of the van, landing on the rough, gravelly ground. The sharp stones scraped against her face. Whether it was real or imagined, she thought she could feel warm blood trickling down her cheek. No—no, no, no! Not her face! Ignoring the pain, Virginia scrambled to her feet, terrified that the gravel might have left scars on her flawless skin. Samuel had no intention of showing her any mercy. He grabbed her by the hair and yanked her upright, gesturing to his men with a nod. His subordinates immediately understood his unspoken command and began clearing the path ahead. Samuel dragged Virginia into the factory and threw her onto the ground."Keep an eye on her. I need to take a call." "Got it, boss. Don't worry about a thing," one of the men replied obediently. After Samuel left, the man turned his attention to Virginia. He grabbed the hood covering her head and tore it off in one swift motion. After being shrouded in darkness for so long, Virginia was momentarily blinded by the sunlight. She instinctively squinted, her eyes adjusting slowly. It took about ten seconds before her vision became clear again. "She's actually quite pretty," one of the men remarked, eyeing Virginia with a strange tone. "And that figure ... not bad at all," someone else chimed in. "I wonder what she'd be like to ... taste," another added, his voice laced with vulgar amusement. Virginia blinked, her face flushing with humiliation. She pretended not to hear them. Her hands were tightly bound, her mouth stuffed with a rag, and she knelt on the filthy ground, stained with dirt and rust. Looking more closely, the dirt was mixed with patches of iron residue, and not far away, she could see corroded copper nails scattered about. This was an abandoned factory. Virginia's heart sank. Despite the bumpy ride, she had calmed down somewhat and knew that her top priority now was finding a way to escape. But who could I turn to for help? Lance? His name was the first to surface in her mind. She twisted her wrists, trying to feel for her phone, hoping it was still on her. But before she could make any significant movement, one of the men noticed her struggling. He stepped forward and kicked her again. "Already squirming, huh? Can't wait, can you?" "Pretty perky, too," he added with a lewd grin.The force of his kick sent Virginia sprawling to the ground once more. Her smooth, pale skin scraped against the gravel again, and she winced in pain. The man's obscene comments continued as she tried to sit back up. But with her hands tied, she couldn't even manage that. The filthy gravel pressed against her cheek. No. She couldn't let her face get cut. She couldn't endure this humiliation. Summoning every ounce of strength, Virginia curled her legs and struggled to sit upright again. But the effort left her legs trembling with weakness. She was so close ... Just as she was about to rise, the man kicked her down again, his expression filled with twisted amusement. Virginia clenched her teeth, tears welling up in her eyes. "Oh, she's crying now! That's almost endearing. Makes you want to protect her, doesn't it?" The men around her burst into laughter. Virginia's tears flowed even harder. Wait for Lance to come and save her? That was a laughable thought. Lance wouldn't come even if she were dead. He was probably still wrapped around that little vixen Addison's finger. A flicker of despair crossed Virginia's eyes. Wait! By now, Troy's men should have already captured Addison. As she thought this, footsteps echoed from nearby. "What's with the crying?" Samuel strolled back in, a cigarette dangling from his lips. "She's a delicate woman, boss. A little rough handling, and of course, she'll cry," one of his men joked. Virginia looked up at Samuel with tear-filled eyes and a miserable expression. This ... this man wasn't one of Troy's men?Her face turned pale with shock. "Mmph mmph—!" She struggled violently, trying to signal to Samuel that they'd grabbed the wrong person. But with the rag stuffed firmly in her mouth, she couldn't get a single coherent word out. The muffled sobs coming from her only irritated Samuel further. He scratched his ear with a grimace. One of the men, noticing their boss's annoyance, slapped Virginia hard across the face. "Shut up! Be quiet!" A red handprint quickly appeared on her pale cheek. Samuel, still puffing on his cigarette, stared at her emotionlessly. He looked at her as if she were nothing more than a toy. "Boss, have a seat," one of the men said, quickly dragging over a chair. Samuel glanced at him approvingly. "At least you've got some sense." He sat down lazily, his expression mocking. Virginia gritted her teeth, glaring at him in fury. They had the wrong person! How could they be this stupid? Her emotions were a tangled mess of fear and rage. She had spent so much effort planning this, only to end up suffering the punishment meant for Addison herself?! The stones that should have scarred Addison's face were now cutting into hers. The humiliation that Addison should have endured was now hers to bear. Smoke wafted through the air as Samuel squinted at her with mild interest. "Why's she looking at me like that? Those eyes are practically spitting fire," he said with a smirk. "She's got quite the fiery temper." Virginia bit down hard on the rag in her mouth, her hatred radiating from her eyes. "Oh, now she looks just like the arrogant woman from before!"Samuel's smirk widened into a sinister grin. "Break her leg. Let's see how cocky she can be after that." The cigarette fell from Samuel's lips, and he crushed it under his boot with a deliberate twist. "Break her leg?" one of the men asked hesitantly, unsure. Samuel raised an eyebrow. "What? Feeling soft all of a sudden?" He punched the man on the shoulder, laughing mockingly. "Don't tell me you're scared of hurting a pretty face." "No way! Of course not," the man quickly replied with a forced laugh. "It's just ... will we still be able to explain this to Mr. Troy?" Samuel scratched his ear again, his tone indifferent. "Don't worry about Mr. Troy. I'll handle it." "Don't you want to avenge the brothers we lost? "This woman cost us two men. "She's acting as though she's superior to everyone else—she needs to understand who's truly in charge here. "Avenge them!" One of the men shouted in agreement. Without hesitation, he picked up a steel rod and began walking toward Virginia. The metal dragged along the floor with a sharp, grating sound. Virginia's eyes widened in terror. She thrashed desperately, trying to plead, "No! Please, don't—" But all that came out were muffled cries. Her frantic protests fell on deaf ears. "Stop! If you break my leg, Mr. Troy won't let you get away with it!" She tried to scream, but the words turned into indecipherable sobs. No one cared. The man swung the rod down mercilessly. Blood sprayed as the impact shattered bone, and crimson rivulets began to flow down her leg, soaking through her cloth.