Chapter 243: Chapter 237: Saving Mia

Mukelin Cole and his wife, trembling, were led to the wealthy businessman’s bedroom.

A man in a robe sat on the sofa, a cigar dangling from his lips.

He exuded a natural aristocratic aura that, even in silence, made it impossible for anyone to meet his gaze.

A blonde girl sat primly beside him, dressed in a frilly skirt and little leather shoes, looking just like a doll.

Though they couldn’t see her face, it was clear she was very young.

The man’s arm rested naturally on her shoulder, pulling her into a partial embrace in an incredibly intimate posture.

“Sit.”

Mukelin Cole and his wife were seated on the sofa opposite them. Several bodyguards in black flanked the sofa, standing ramrod straight with their hands clasped behind their backs. They were clearly well-trained.

They subconsciously sat up straighter, not daring to make a sound.

Alvin Morgan took a puff of his cigar, covertly sizing them up. The man’s features bore a slight resemblance to Mia’s. The woman’s eyes were deeply sunken and her face was gaunt. As she watched the cigar in his hand, she unconsciously licked her lips—the telltale sign of an addict.

“You bought Mine 89?”

Mukelin Cole didn’t react at first, not until Beta Morgan prompted him, “Our boss is speaking to you.”

He immediately nodded. “I bought it.”

“Name your price.” Alvin Morgan shifted his position, casually placing the cigar to the side.

“I… uh…” Mukelin Cole had wanted to test the waters, but he lost the nerve to haggle the moment they met. Instead, he blurted out the truth, “That mine… it’s not a gold mine…”

His wife immediately tugged on his arm, clearly unhappy with his confession.

“Surprisingly honest of you,” Alvin Morgan chuckled softly.

The tense atmosphere in the room eased slightly, and Mukelin Cole offered him a fawning smile.

“My little girl likes that mine, doesn’t she?” Alvin Morgan turned to the girl beside him, asking affectionately as he scooped her up and placed her on his lap.

Aurora Sinclair’s face flushed crimson. She lowered her head and let out a barely audible squeak, her only thought to wrap her arms around his neck and bury her face in its crook.

The smile on Alvin Morgan’s face deepened. He affectionately buried his nose in her hair before planting a kiss on her reddened ear.

Then he looked back at the couple. “She likes it. So please, name your price.”

A flash of astonishment crossed the eyes of Mukelin Cole and his wife.

“Uh… two hundred million…” Mukelin Cole said, his voice trembling as he held up two fingers.

He had originally pooled funds with a friend to bid on the mine. But after hearing a rumor that it was a gold mine, he had schemed to take the majority share for himself. He never imagined it was a setup by his friend, who scammed him out of eighty million and left him with a worthless plot of land.

He had borrowed the money to buy the mine from a casino owner, putting up his house and his only gemstone mine as collateral.

Now that word of the worthless mine had spread, the casino owner was demanding repayment. If he failed, his entire family would be forced into indentured servitude at the casino.

However, the casino owner had a peculiar fetish for young, blonde girls. This had made Mukelin think of his daughter back in the slums, and he planned to use her to settle his debt.

Alvin Morgan sneered. “Two hundred million? Do I look like a sucker?”

The bodyguards standing behind Mukelin Cole and his wife drew their guns and pressed the muzzles to their heads.

“N-no… I misspoke! One hundred fifty million.”

“One hundred million Maso Coins. Take it or leave it.” Alvin Morgan’s voice lowered, and the couple opposite him nodded frantically in terror.

Only then did he seem satisfied. He looked down at the girl in his arms. “Happy now? Give me a kiss.”

The wife’s eyes suddenly lit up as if an idea had struck her.

Afterward, Silas Morgan accompanied them to the mining administration center to sign the transfer agreement.

The wife whispered, “Sir, may I ask… is the gentleman particularly fond of young, blonde girls?”

Silas Morgan suppressed a laugh and nodded. ’The boss is so devious,’ he thought. ’Killing two birds with one stone.’

Soon, after all the paperwork was completed, Mukelin Cole said to Silas Morgan, “Sir, if the gentleman requires any assistance, please feel free to call on us at any time.”

Silas Morgan offered a few polite words, then asked hesitantly, “Do you happen to know where one could purchase a… well-trained maid?”

The wife’s eyes lit up instantly. “Sir, are there any specific requirements?”

“Blonde, young, and pretty.”

“No problem.”

***

Upon returning home, the wife immediately sent a maid to the cellar to fetch Mia, who had been locked up for a day and a night, and take her for a bath.

“Husband, this is our chance. You have to seize it.”

Mukelin Cole knew exactly what she meant. ’If that worthless girl catches the gentleman’s eye, he’ll definitely remember us. We might even be able to use this to get in his good graces.’

Mia stared at the beautiful dress before her, biting her lip, not moving an inch.

The head maid said with a smile, “Miss Mia, the master isn’t being cruel. He saw how poorly you were living in the slums and wanted to bring you here to live a better life. This dress is worth five hundred Maso Coins.”

She held the dress up against Mia’s body. “See? He even bought you a new dress. Isn’t it lovely? Tomorrow, he’s even taking you to meet his business partners, to introduce you to his friends…”

Mia shrank back, her head bowed low.

When Mia didn’t respond, the head maid’s smile faded. She tossed the dress onto the bed and said stiffly to a younger maid, “Get her dressed and take her downstairs for dinner.”

At the dinner table, Mia nibbled mechanically on a piece of bread while the little boy beside her, her brother, mischievously smeared cream in her hair.

“Ike, don’t mess up your sister’s hair.”

“Hmph, smelly beggar!”

Annoyed at being scolded by his mother, the boy angrily smashed his plate down on Mia’s dress before turning and running off.

A triumphant, mischievous laugh echoed behind him.

“You little brat! That dress is expensive!” The mother was so angry she looked like she wanted to beat her son.

Mukelin Cole shot his wife a glare. “It can be washed.”

Then he turned to Mia and said sternly, “Be smart when you meet the gentleman tomorrow. Serve him well. Otherwise, I’ll sell you to the mines as a slave.”

Mia’s face was numb, her eyes utterly lifeless. Beneath the table, her hands twisted the hem of her dress in a death grip.

“Did you hear me?!” Mukelin Cole roared, slamming his hand on the table as he stood up.

Mia flinched in fear but remained silent, her head bowed.

Mukelin Cole raised his hand to strike her again, but his wife stopped him. “She has to see him tomorrow. Don’t leave any marks.”

“Hmph…” Mukelin Cole suppressed his rage and sat back down.

“Lock her in the attic.”

***

「The next day.」

Dressed in the beautiful skirt, Mia was forcefully dragged into a car by the maids.

She finally broke down, sobbing and struggling with all her might, but the maid beside her was too strong, gripping her arm so tightly she couldn’t move.

“Brother… Ahm…”

“Gag her!” Mukelin Cole roared from the front seat.

They arrived at the luxurious hotel again. This time, Silas Morgan and Arthur received them in a meeting room.

“Sir, we’ve brought you a blonde girl.”

“Where is she?” Arthur blurted out, startling Mukelin Cole for a moment.

Silas Morgan shot him a look, and Arthur immediately lowered his head and took a step back.

“Bring her in for a look.”

Mukelin Cole immediately had the maids from the car bring over Mia, whose hands were tied.

The moment Arthur saw Mia, he nearly lost his composure again but was stopped by a sharp pinch from his teammate.

’Good thing we’re all wearing masks, or this kid would have blown our cover for sure.’

Silas Morgan stepped forward, tilting Mia’s chin up to inspect her. “Her features are decent, but she’s too frail.”

Mukelin Cole bowed obsequiously. “Sir, don’t let her thinness fool you. She’s very capable and will be able to serve the gentleman perfectly.”

Silas Morgan still looked displeased, pretending to ponder. “The gentleman isn’t particularly fond of skinny girls…”

Mukelin Cole quickly added, “That’s only because she wasn’t eating well at home! She’ll fill out after a few days in your care.”

Silas Morgan lifted Mia’s chin again, pretending to consider for a moment. “I’ll take her to the gentleman for his approval. I will give you an answer shortly.”

A struggling Mia was then led out of the room by several masked men in black and taken to Alvin Morgan’s bedroom.

She was so filled with despair she wished for death, tears streaming endlessly down her face.

Her mind was filled with the faces of Ahm and her brother.

The moment they let her go, she summoned a sudden burst of strength and charged straight for the wall.

“Mia!” Arthur, standing behind her, cried out in horror.

Just then, a lightning-fast figure appeared and blocked her path…

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