The Million-Dollar Heart (Percival and Vivienne)
Chapter 140

As Cordelia picked up her phone, she was baffled to see Arabella's name flash on the screen. A surge of anger welled within her, but she answered the call anyway. Arabella's sobbing voice filled the air around the phone. "Dad! You need to come and save me! I've been locked up..."

"What? Are you trying to set your dad up again using the same old trick?" Cordelia interrupted her as a bitter laugh escaped her lips.

Arabella seemed taken aback on the other end of the line. "Mom..."

"Don't call me mom. I can't bear the weight of it." Cordelia retorted coldly. "Your dad is still bedridden due to your antics. What are you scheming this time?"

"No, mom, it's different now. I'm really in trouble." Arabella's voice was filled with desperation, and her breath was heavy as if she were on the run.

But Cordelia was not about to be fooled again. Even if she believed Arabella, she wouldn't bother to help. Her heart was already battered and bruised.

Cordelia cut Arabella off in a stern tone. "Arabella, the biggest regret your dad and I have in this life is adopting you. Now that we've severed ties, please stop bothering us."

With that, she ended the call with a harsh click and followed Michael's lead by switching off Dorian's phone.

Even turning off Dorian's phone wasn't enough. She turned off her own too.

The mere thought of Arabella made her sick.

East District.

Arabella wasn't lying to Beatrice. She had been trying to contact the mysterious man since that day.

Unfortunately, as soon as their plot to frame Dorian was exposed, that man and his gang disappeared without a trace.

Left with no other choice, she had to track Elijah's lawyer in an attempt to replace him.

She believed if the man had gone to the lengths of hiring a lawyer for Elijah, he wouldn't abandon him. He must still be in touch with the lawyer.

But to her dismay, she lost track of Elijah's lawyer upon reaching the East District.

It was already late, but she thought about how those people had been hiding in the most chaotic part of the East District, Urban Village. So she decided to try her luck. Little did she expect to be targeted by three thugs not long after she entered Urban Village.

They stalked her to a secluded grove, where they began to make their move.

One of them blocked her path and smirked. "What brings a pretty little thing like you to such a dangerous place at this hour, huh?"

Startled, she heard another one say, "What else could it be? She's probably lonely and looking for some fun."

The remaining one reached out to grab her. "Well then, we'll keep you company tonight."

"Get lost!" Arabella shrieked, dodging his hand.

"You ungrateful wench! You'll regret it!" One of the men snarled.

Instinctively, Arabella turned and ran. She blindly dashed into the nearby woods, dialing 911 as she ran. "I need help! Three men are trying to rape me!"

"Ma'am, can you please provide your exact location?" A dispatcher replied urgently.

"I'm in the woods near Urban Village in the East District!" Arabella glanced behind her and saw that the men were gaining on her. Panic set in, and she screamed, "Hurry up! They're catching up to me!" "There are two urban villages in the East District. Which one are you near, and in which grove?" The dispatcher inquired frantically.

"Serenity Lane's Urban Village. I don't know which grove I'm in!" Arabella was unfamiliar with the East District, let alone the numerous groves. She was on the verge of tears. "Please hurry."

"Damn, she's on the phone with the cops! Let's finish her off!" One of the men chasing Arabella shouted.

"Why bother killing her?" Another one sneered. "Let's have our fun, then sell her. Ivan needs kidneys, right? Let's sell one of hers first, then let her work."

The more Arabella heard, the colder her heart felt. She sped up, but the path ahead was pitch black. She had no idea where she was and could only run blindly with tears streaming down her face.

Suddenly, she spotted a few large houses enclosed by tall walls ahead. It looked like a hospital. The small door at the bottom left of the main gate was half open. Without thinking, she dashed through and slammed it shut behind her.

"Damn!" Unable to enter, the thugs kicked the metal door and walked off.

Arabella was surprised they didn't try to climb over the gate or the wall. They left without a fuss.

She stood in the dark yard, startled by a chuckle from the shadows.

She spun around to see a chubby man in hospital attire grinning at her. "Miss, are...are you here to marry me?"

Arabella recoiled as the man lunged at her. She quickly backed away and ran into the closest house.

"Bride, don't...don't run!" The fat man giggled while chasing after her.

Arabella found herself in a hospital ward and hid under a bed. The chubby man found her room quickly, calling out for his 'bride' while lifting up the covers of each bed.

The patients in the room were disturbed. Someone snapped on the lights, and another started yelling, "Fatso, are you asking for trouble?"

Another patient, awoken by the commotion, began to wail.

Arabella stayed still under the bed, baffled at the lack of staff intervention in this bizarre private hospital.

"Bride, bride, bride!" The fat man's voice grew louder. "I saw you come in here!"

Annoyed, one of the patients suggested, "Did you check under the beds?"

Arabella's heart pounded in her chest. The next second, the fat man's drooling face appeared under the bed, reaching out to grab her.

She let out a piercing scream, attempting to back away, but was caught off guard by another man on her other side. He dragged her out into the open.

She was tossed onto the cold floor. Using the dim light provided, she managed to make out the faces of four other men in the room.

One had a crooked eye and a twisted mouth.

Another had a menacing look in his eyes.

One was constantly muttering gibberish under his breath.

The only one who seemed somewhat normal was brandishing a crude knife that was carved out of wood. He sneered at her. "Looks like a tasty morsel."

The chubby, cross-eyed man quickly intervened. "No, no way; she's my gal! You can't have her!"

The brooding man chimed in. "What a waste it would be to devour her straight away. It's much better to have some fun first, then eat."

Arabella was trembling. Under the glaring light, she could clearly see the words "N&S Psychiatric Hospital" on their hospital gowns.