After Julius emerged from the small restaurant's back alley bathroom, he noticed that two more tables had been set up in the positions near where he and Arabella had been sitting. Five more men were seated, waiting for their food. Julius let out a cold snort, particularly at the man who had joined them at their table. His gaze turned icy as he looked at Nicholas, but Nicholas only responded with a smug smile, then continued to focus all his attention on Arabella beside him.
Arabella looked up at Julius. The spice had made her eyes moist, and a hazy look filled her gaze. Julius's expression darkened. This rare sight of Arabella, he should have been the only one to enjoy it, but now there were so many eyesores around. His usually cold heart stirred with an inexplicable distaste, but he didn't show it. Quietly, he sat back down and softly asked Arabella, "Did you bring these people?"
"They came themselves," Arabella replied. Having grown used to the spicy taste, she took a sip of water and then chewed another piece of beef, looking like she was truly enjoying the meal.
Julius said nothing. He knew very well what the men sitting around were capable of. He and Arabella hadn't hidden their tracks while eating on the street, so if these men wanted to follow, they could easily find them. Still, Julius frowned slightly, feeling uncomfortable in his chest. He silently poured himself another drink and gulped it down. Before he even put the glass down, he saw Arabella staring at him with a smile, asking, "Just had a stomachache and now drinking? You planning on going to the back alley again?" Before he could respond, Nicholas, who had curiously tried a bite of the dish, couldn't swallow it and immediately covered his mouth, bent over, and vomited the piece of meat onto the ground.
A young man at the nearby table couldn't help but snicker, and Julius shot him a cold, menacing look. The young man was unfamiliar to him, and he couldn't figure out how he ended up with Arabella's people. With a murderous glint in his eyes, he slightly tightened his grip on the fork, preparing to end the young man's life immediately. However, before he could act, Arabella gently placed her glass on his hand, the one holding the fork, and quietly said, "He's useful. I'll apologize to you." Upon hearing this, Julius's dark mood cleared instantly. He spun the fork in his hand, shifting their position, and released all his murderous intent, though his mouth remained stubborn: "You owe a life. I'll make my demands later."
Julius seemed to be at ease, but after drinking several cups of tea, Nicholas still felt his tongue numb. His body was warming up, and he glanced over at Arabella, who was eating and drinking without any change in her expression. He asked the same question Julius had asked earlier: "Master Unknown, isn't it spicy?" After asking, he immediately regretted it. Arabella's eyes were already filled with tears from the spice—there was no way it wasn't spicy. But even with such intense heat, she continued eating without a care. It wasn't just about handling spice anymore. Nicholas had gathered intel on Arabella in the past and knew that she had trained herself to control her physical reactions. At the time, he had looked up to her, admiring her strength. But now, watching Arabella eat such spicy food today while still maintaining her almost inhuman level of discipline, it was clear that those who have lived in the darkness wouldn't feel the pain of it. Suddenly, Nicholas felt a pang of sourness in his chest.
At their table, there was a turbulent undercurrent, and at the table beside them, the atmosphere was even more charged. After Raven arrived, his gaze was fixed firmly on Arabella. However, Arabella only spared him a brief glance when the others respectfully greeted her, as if not caring at all about his sudden disappearance for three days. His eyes, full of dark currents, locked onto Arabella's red lips and her moist eyes. He couldn't wait for an opportunity to pin her down and fxxck her right then and there, consumed by a storm of desire and inner demons. As Raven tried to calm himself, Caracal was silently watching his every move, his heart filled with joy. He had known from the beginning that Raven was a rebellious soul, a wolf raised to be ungrateful. He kept his eyes on him, ready to report any strange movements to Master Unknown for a reward, which would surely get him closer to taking Raven's position. While these two schemed against each other, Bramwell's attention was drawn to a group of human traffickers approaching from nearby, his brow furrowing slightly.
On the way, they had also encountered the group of human traffickers, who were openly selling seven or eight women, tied together by ropes. In a place like Jingle, this was a common sight. Bramwell didn't think much of it, but as he passed by them, one of the women stumbled and fell in front of him, blocking his path. Bramwell, not wanting to cause any trouble, intended to step aside and quickly leave. However, the woman, perhaps too weak, had fallen too hard. She groaned softly, her hands instinctively grabbing the legs of the person passing by, as if clinging to a lifeline, pleading for help. "Please, save me," she begged.
Hearing her voice, the human trafficker turned around. Upon seeing Bramwell's imposing presence, he immediately recognized him as a wealthy man and smiled obsequiously, asking, "Sir, would you like to buy one to take home?"
Bramwell would never be interested in these women. He immediately coldly declined, "No need." As he lowered his head to shake off the woman grabbing his leg, he was taken aback. What a coincidence—those eyes… they were far too familiar, to the point that his scalp tingled. Having dealt with Nicholas's schemes against Arabella, he instantly recognized the story behind those eyes. He thought back to the undercover police with the same pair of eyes, a sharp nose, and a pointed chin. Fortunately, he had gone mad and disappeared after being taken away. If Merrick truly stayed by Arabella's side, he wouldn't know how much bloodshed and chaos would follow.
Bramwell instinctively felt murderous intent rise within him at that moment. He wanted to kill the woman right there, thinking to himself that she was just a mere creature, easy to dispose of. But as a former police officer, a shred of his conscience held him back from acting. Well, well, in the vast sea of people, such coincidences hardly ever happen. But fate is unpredictable—ironically, it was at this very moment that the person slowly approached!
Bramwell quickly glanced at Arabella, who was sitting sideways at the table. Nicholas, seated beside her, blocked half of her view of the street. Since their table was placed outside, it was unlikely that Arabella would glance toward the outside at all.
But, contrary to expectations, just as the group was about to pass the restaurant, someone inside shouted, "Wait a moment, how much are you selling those women for?"
Bramwell almost immediately turned his gaze toward Arabella, only to see her talking with Nicholas, with Julius occasionally chiming in. Clearly, the three of them were completely oblivious to the commotion. He let out a slight breath of relief, watching as the man who had been inquiring about the women walked out of the restaurant and directly approached the traffickers to begin a conversation. Because such transactions involving women were so commonplace in Jingle, the shops on both sides of the street remained bustling with activity, and hardly anyone paid any attention to this small matter.
The transaction went smoothly. Money was exchanged for goods, and the man was about to take away the woman he had chosen. The moment he reached out for her, Bramwell's expression subtly shifted. This did not escape the notice of Raven and Caracal, who were observing him from a distance. They exchanged a quiet glance and then glanced at the transaction. A man reached out and grabbed the woman by the hair, pulling her head back. She screamed in agony, but her face was hidden behind her disheveled hair, so her beauty or lack thereof couldn't be discerned.
Norris was purely drawn by the woman's scream. Curious, he turned his head toward the source of the noise and then exclaimed, "Isn't that the group of human traffickers we encountered earlier?"
Raven and Caracal exchanged a look. Neither of them thought Bramwell was the type to be infatuated with beauty. The fact that he was so affected by this situation suggested that the woman had something unique about her.
Bramwell had already reined in his emotions. He knew that his brief loss of control had been noticed by Raven and Caracal. That wasn't a problem; the important thing was that Arabella didn't react.
The man had already paid at the shop, and now that he had bought the woman, he was ready to enjoy his purchase. But when he saw her crying and struggling, he became furious. He yanked her hair, slapped her hard twice across the face, and shouted, "Damn it, why aren't you behaving? If it weren't for your pretty eyes, I wouldn't have chosen you, this little brat. The one before was obviously bigger in the chest."
Arabella turned her head. At the same time, Nicholas also turned his head. Both of them were particularly sensitive to the phrase "pretty eyes." Only Julius, who was a bit slower to react, froze for a moment before following their gaze.
Raven reacted quickly as well. He immediately realized the reason for Bramwell's abnormal behavior. He quickly stood up and stepped in front of Arabella, lowering his head and saying, "Master Unknown, it was my fault. I left without permission earlier."
As the saying goes, "care brings chaos." The moment Raven stood up, Arabella smiled even brighter. She extended her hand and softly said, "Raven, move aside."
