?<strong>Chapter 284:</strong>


    After leaving the beauty salon, Katie hopped into a taxi waiting by the curb. She was so absorbed in her phone that she didn’t notice the driver was wearing a mask and a hat pulled down low. After she gave her address, Katie started sending selfies to her friends. Those supposed “friends” were really just an audience for her to show off to.


    “You have deviated from the route.”


    The GPS’s mechanical voice snapped Katie out of her distraction. She looked around and realized they were not on her usual route home, and the road ahead was ominously dark and seemingly endless.


    “Sir, this isn’t the way to my house!”


    The driver sat silently, like a robot, which sent Katie into a panic. Just as she was about to scream for help, the car suddenly stopped.


    “What are you doing?”


    Katie swallowed hard. Was she about to be assaulted in this secluded spot? She was so focused on the driver that she didn’t notice someone approaching the car until they abruptly opened the door and pulled her out by her hair.


    “Ah!”


    Katie’s scream rang out into the deste area. She was dragged into an abandoned factory where five men in ck, wearing masks and caps, were gathered. She couldn’t even distinguish which one was the driver.


    “What do you want?” Katie asked, ovee with fear.


    The rusty iron door creaked as it was pushed open. When Katie saw the face of the neer, she fell silent from shock. “It’s you!”


    Gina, with no expression, signaled for the men to leave, and they all bowed their heads in a show of respect.


    “What do you want? I’ve done nothing to you. Why did you kidnap me?” Katie yelled.


    Gina sneered, squatting slowly before Katie, grabbing her hair to lift her face. With the light behind her, Gina’s face appeared masked, concealing her malevolence. “How much money did Tristan give you?”


    Katie’s voice faltered, her body trembling with fear. “What do you really want from me? Please, don’t kill me! Please!”


    Gina looked at her intently. “Tristan is my ex-boyfriend.”


    Katie was shocked, quickly sping her hands together. “I had no idea! He deceived me! That scoundrel misled me from the very beginning! I never intended to steal your boyfriend!”


    “He did deceive you,” Gina said, grabbing Katie’s chin firmly. “But didn’t you deceive him as well?”


    Katie was on the brink of crying. “What do you want from me? I’ve already broken up with Tristan!”


    “How much money did you get from him?”


    “Not a lot,” Katie said, her voice tight.


    Gina didn’t press her to confess her lies. “Whatever the amount, I want half. That money should have been mine.”


    “Why?” Katie protested.


    Suddenly, Gina struck her across the face.


    Katie was too scared to even breathe. This woman, who appeared so meek around Joelle, was actually capable of such cruelty.


    “I’ll give it to you! Tristan only gave me a little money. I’ll give all of it to you, okay? Just let me go! Please! I don’t want to die!”


    “Just a bit of money?” Gina chuckled. “Katie, do you really think I’m that naive?”


    Katie gave her a look full of grievance. Gina held her chin in one hand while smoothing out her disheveled hair with the other. “Don’t worry. If you cooperate with me, I won’t let anything happen to you.”


    Katie was petrified. “Can I say no?”


    Why should she agree to Gina’s demands?


    Gina leaned in close, whispering, “I know about your child. Joelle’s son is actually yours, isn’t he?”


    Katie’s eyes widened in utter shock.


    Even a trapped rabbit will fight back, let alone her.


    Upon hearing this, Katie red at Gina. “How did you find out?”


    “That’s not what matters,” Gina replied, lightly pinching Katie’s cheek. “What matters is, why is your son with Joelle?”


    Katie turned her head away. “I don’t know!”


    As soon as the words left her mouth, she realized her error. Hadn’t she just admitted she had a son?


    “A son? What? I don’t know what you’re talking about!”


    Gina observed Katie, a woman fallen from grace still trying to maintain her facade as a socialite. “You’re aiming to marry rich, right? What if every suitor knew about your child? Wouldn’t that ruin your chances of marrying into wealth?”


    “Gina Robles!” Katie’s eyes zed with fury. “If you ruin me, I won’t let you off easily!”


    “Me, ruin you? Think about it, who actually wants to ruin you?” Gina’s voice was eerie, resonating in Katie’s head.


    “You left that child, yet Joelle ended up adopting him. Why do you think she did that? Haven’t you thought about how you’ve treated her in the past? Katie, the real threat to you is Joelle. She’s just biding her time until you marry rich. Then she’ll appear with your son and shatter your happinesspletely!”


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