Chapter 334
Keira heard these words, but there was no joy on her face. Instead, she asked, “What’s the condition?”

….
“Complete the task I’ve set.”

Keira scoffed.

She knew that the other party wouldn’t tell her what she wanted to know.

She asked straightforwardly, “What if I can’t complete it?”

The person on the other side laughed. “Keera, you should know that your mother is a traitor to the South family, right? What do you think happens to traitors caught by us?”

Keira’s chest tightened, and her voice trembled. “What will happen?”

“Solitary confinement is the least of it. For someone like your mom, she’d be living in the dudgeon, given only a little bit of sustenance each day. Some might even be subjected to public protests and floggings… The most severe would be killed by submersion.”

The other party’s threatening words made Keira feel as if she were in a daze.

She even looked around for a moment, feeling like she had stepped back into ancient times. Wasn’t this the 21st century?!

How could there be places that operated their own private torture chambers?!

But Keira wasn’t naive.

Crera’s system was based on equality, where everyone could enjoy fair treatment. But the world was too vast, and there were still places with slavery.

There were regions where women couldn’t show their faces in public…

Maybe some underdeveloped regions hadn’t completely evolved into a civilized society… Some places were even consumed by constant warfare…

The place that the person mentioned could indeed exist.

But Keira wasn’t intimidated. The more the person spoke, the more it showed that Jodie South was safe for now.

Indeed, the other party said, “Your mom is currently in our care, and nothing like that has happened to her yet, but if you’re disobedient, that could change.”

Keira lowered her eyes, speaking hastily. “Haven’t I been obedient already? The business with Mary and Ellis is done.”

“Well, yes, you’ve done that, Keera. It seems the pressure we’ve put on you in the past was too insignificant. I didn’t expect that for all these years I was overlooking a great deception, you’ve been hiding your true strength… You’ve really brought me a great surprise. Since that’s the case, then show your full power! Let’s see if you really have the qualifications to come home!”

After that, the other party said, “Getting Mary and Ellis to marry is the first task. Today the news of their engagement has spread; I suppose you should be able to complete that quickly. I’ll send the second task to your mobile phone in a couple of days.”

After that, the call ended.

Lewis was driving and was silent throughout the call. Now that she had hung up, he finally asked, “Who was it?”

Keira relayed the other party’s words to Lewis.

Lewis said, “It seems this place must not be in Crera. Keira, don’t worry. I’ll have people search the entire world.”

…But the world was so vast; her mother could be hidden anywhere, even on an undiscovered deserted island.

No wonder the immense power of both the Olsen and Horton families couldn’t find her.

Keira lowered her eyes, understanding that there was only one path left for her to take.

That was to complete the task.

…

In Ellis’s car.

Ellis irritably adjusted his tie and then turned to Mary. “Look, if you want to keep the child, I’m not going to agree to marry you. Mary, it’s up to you!”

Mary let out a bitter smile.

She turned to look at the scenery outside the window and said, “Don’t worry. I have no intention of holding onto you.”

Her demeanor made Ellis feel even more frustrated.

The two of them didn’t speak for the rest of the journey and were soon back at the South residence.

Noticing the place outside, Ellis finally realized something, “You’re not staying at the Davis residence?”

“No, I’ve been staying here with Keera for the last couple of days.”

Mary pushed the door open, not looking at him. “Thanks for the ride home, goodbye.”

She walked straight through the entrance.

No sooner had she entered than she leaned against the door, pressing her hand to her chest.

Then, she clenched her jaw tightly, and her eyes were slowly filled with tears.

Ellis really knew how to make hurtful remarks. She did like him, but she wasn’t a masochist. Having dodged this bullet today, she would tell her parents tomorrow that she wanted to go abroad, and then leave the country.

She was going to take her child and never return to this heartbreaking place.

Suddenly, her phone vibrated.

She opened it and saw that it was a WhatsApp message from Ken. “Mary, Ellis’s parents have contacted me and will come over to propose marriage tomorrow. Remember to come back for a visit.”

Mary clenched her fists tightly upon reading this message.

She replied, “Uncle, there’s no need for that. I’m not suitable for Ellis.”

After replying to the message, she headed for the living room.

But as she approached, she suddenly heard a conversation between Keera and the gigolo.

Keera said in a low voice, “Why do you think the first task they assigned me was to get Mary and Ellis married?”

Hearing this, Mary felt like she was struck by lightning, freezing on the spot.

She knew she heard it correctly and suddenly remembered that Keera had once vaguely mentioned the first task… Was it to get her married to Ellis?

It suddenly occurred to Mary that when Keera had been in a panic, scared after receiving the “task” they assigned her, she was absent-minded. Later, when she asked, Keera had answered, “They asked me to scheme against the most important person to me, and I refused.”

Back then, Mary thought the most important person to Keera was Howard.

But actually, the most important person was herself?!

And then she thought about what happened later…

Keera was always very meek toward Howard as well as toward Mary. They had shared twenty years of friendship, yet Keera blocked her because of a few words from Howard…

Was that also a way of protecting her?

Mary wasn’t foolish, and she had a natural trust in Keera.

She knew Keera wouldn’t scheme against her, and the relationship that developed between her and Ellis had come naturally. It had nothing to do with Keera.

Sure enough, she heard the gigolo say, “I’m not sure, but this first task was a shot in the dark for you, and it was unexpected that they’d end up together.”

Then Keera said, “That scumbag Ellis! If he dares to mistreat Mary, I won’t let them get married! When Mary gets back, I’ll ask her properly.”

Mary’s eyes teared up.

She just knew…

But then she heard the gigolo say, “What about your mother? If you don’t complete the task, you won’t be able to save her.”

Mary’s pupils shrank instantly.

Save her mother?

Mary could feel that Keera had been troubled recently, becoming much more somber as if suddenly weighed down by more responsibilities.

She had been wanting to find an opportunity to ask what was going on.

But she had never imagined it was something this serious!

Keera had mentioned knowing where her biological parents were—was her mother captured by “them”?

No wonder Keera had needed to complete tasks!

With that thought in mind, she heard Keera continue. “No matter what, Mary’s happiness cannot be sacrificed.”

Mary’s eyes teared up.

Keera had always considered her well-being…

Mary suddenly clenched her fists, turned around, and quietly left the living room. She approached the front door, not hearing Keera’s following words. “Mary is my most important friend. My sister would never use her, nor will I.”

Mary quietly opened the door and left the villa, standing outside.

Her phone vibrated again. She picked it up and saw it was another message from Ken. “Dear niece, did you and Ellis fight?”

There were also several messages from her parents. “Mary, stop being stubborn, and come back home, okay? Marrying Ellis is the glory of your life! Your reputation is already ruined. Who else would you marry if not him?”

Looking at this WhatsApp message, Mary suddenly lowered her gaze and smiled.

Her refusal to marry Ellis had always been her pride, so was her desire to leave. So…