Under His Control

Under His Control

"Nina, looks like we can't pay back that loan. I remember you have accident insurance—disability is covered too." My boyfriend's tone carried a mix of sincerity and mockery.

I stared at him in terror.

Derek bit down on his cigarette and curled his lips arrogantly. "Just kidding. Don't take it seriously."

But deep down, I knew he wasn't joking at all.

Derek was a liaison who trafficked people into Myanmar. He'd already set his sights on me.

1.

"Stay away from your boyfriend. He's bad news."

When I got that call, I thought it was a prank and didn't give it a second thought. "I have the National Anti-Fraud app installed on my phone," I said, then hung up without hesitation.

The phone rang again. I was about to lose my temper when I realized it wasn't mine.

"Derek, your phone," I called toward the bathroom.

The sound of running water probably drowned out my voice.

The call dropped, but the person called back immediately. Afraid I might miss something important, I answered.

"Boss Derek, is Nina handled yet? Myanmar's pushing hard—they need hearts and corneas."

My mind went blank, like I'd been struck by lightning. Before I could recover, Derek snatched the phone from my hand. He frowned, looking annoyed. "What kind of joke is that? You scared Nina."

The other person laughed and apologized to me. "Sorry, sis. Just messing around. I'm throwing a party at the bar tonight—wanted to invite you both."

Derek said, "We'll go," then hung up and teased me, "What, you didn't actually believe that, did you?"

I felt a little embarrassed.

I'd met Derek at a banquet. He pursued me relentlessly, and eventually, we got together.

2.

That night, our usual spot.

Derek took my hand and led me upstairs.

"Sis is here!" Tank greeted me, arm around the woman beside him. He had a new girlfriend again.

I wondered how Derek knew such a bunch of thugs.

They didn't look like good people.

Derek lit a cigarette, smoke curling up and blurring the outline of his profile.

He never smoked in front of me, but when he was with these guys, he seemed like a different person.

I felt like I was missing something.

"I'm going out for some air."

Derek asked, "Want me to come with?"

"No need."

3.

I leaned against the railing on the terrace, replaying that phone call in my mind. It made me uneasy for no reason.

How did Tank know I'd be the one to answer? What if Derek had picked up?

"Hey, hey."

I was lost in thought when I heard someone whisper.

It was Tank's new girlfriend.

She looked around, then grabbed my wrist and pulled me into an empty private room.

Seeing how secretive she was, I asked, "What do you want?"

Her eyes reddened instantly. "Sis, those guys are all human traffickers. They sell women to Myanmar. We need to get out of here."

"How do you know?" My voice trembled uncontrollably.

Before she could say more, I caught sight of Derek through the glass window in the door.

He stood expressionless at the entrance, his dark eyes devoid of warmth. He stubbed out his cigarette, walked in, and took me away.

Tank went into the room after us.

The bar was loud and chaotic. I couldn't hear clearly, but I thought I heard the sound of that girl getting hit.

4.

Derek led me back to the private room. Everyone's eyes were on me.

I grabbed a beer bottle, smashed it against the table, and pointed the sharp glass shards at Derek. "Who the hell are you?!"

Derek looked stunned by my outburst. "Nina, what are you doing?"

"I got a call from the police, and Tank's girlfriend told me everything."

Hearing this, Derek smiled and gestured for me to look at the door.

Tank was all over his girlfriend, Gigi, her face showing none of the fear and trembling from before.

Tank rubbed his nose, looking sheepish. "Sorry, sis. That call you got today was from my girlfriend. We were playing Truth or Dare and lost. It was their dumb idea. Really sorry."

Derek's buddies chimed in with apologies too.

I didn't believe Tank. I turned to Gigi. "Is he telling the truth?"

"It's true. I'm sorry." She looked a bit apologetic, like she thought they'd taken the joke too far.

I slowly set down the bottle. Something felt off, but I couldn't put my finger on it.

Derek pulled me into his arms. "Scared?"

I forced a smile. "Don't ever play games like that again."

Derek quickly promised he wouldn't.

When the party ended, Derek drove me home. "Nina, my mom wants to meet you. I booked tickets for tomorrow."

"But I haven't prepared anything."

Derek stopped at a red light and flicked my forehead. "Leave it to me."

"Alright. I'll let my dad know."

5.

I called my dad. "Sweetie, missing your old man?" The noise of a mahjong parlor came through.

"Dad, you're playing mahjong again. It's so late—why aren't you home?"

"Alright, alright, whatever you say. I'm wrapping up." I heard him tell his friends they were done and would play again tomorrow. "Sweetie, why the sudden call?"

"I'm going to visit Derek's parents in City A tomorrow. Just letting you know so you don't worry if you can't reach me."

My dad chuckled. "Where in City A do Derek's parents live?"

I leaned back lazily in my seat and tilted my head to ask, "Where do your parents live in City A?"

Derek kept one hand on the wheel. "Huai County, City A."

I froze.

Huai County?!

That's where my mom was kidnapped by traffickers. And Derek's hometown was there…

My dad stayed silent. I knew he was thinking about my mom again.

"Dad, I'm not going. I—"

"Don't talk nonsense. What happened back then was an accident. Are you going to avoid meeting Derek's parents forever?"

He said, "Stay safe," and hung up.

Derek noticed my mood shift. "What's wrong?"

I shook my head. I didn't want to talk about it.

6.

The next day, Derek and I got up early and arrived in Huai County by ten.

"Uncle, Auntie, these are gifts for you."

Derek's mom said, "Thank you."

His dad said, "Come in and sit."

I thought they were a bit too "polite," not like a real family.

While they were cooking, Derek wrapped his arm around my waist and explained, "I grew up with my grandma. I'm not close to them."

Ah, that made sense.

I placed my hand over his. "You have me now."

At dinner, Derek's parents barely spoke. The table was quiet.

After a while, they seemed to realize it was awkward.

"Nina, what's your major?"

"Auntie, I majored in chemistry with a minor in psychology. I'm a therapist now."

Derek's parents exchanged a look.

"Let's eat."

"Okay."

7.

That night, I couldn't sleep. I put on my clothes to go for a walk and accidentally overheard Derek talking to his "parents" in the hallway.

Derek's mom said, "Why did you bring her here? Don't tell me you've fallen for her."

Derek took a drag of his cigarette, his tone vicious. "None of your business. Just play your part. If Nina finds out who you are, I'll kill you."

*Bang.* I accidentally knocked over a succulent.

The next second, Derek turned on the light, flooding the hallway with brightness.

"Nina, you shouldn't have come out." He frowned slightly.

Derek's mom said, "Derek, since she already knows, why don't we just—"

Derek stubbed out his cigarette, his half-smile sending chills down my spine. "You think you're fit to replace her?"

With that, he took my hand and led me back to the room. He opened the window, and the night wind rushed in, biting cold.

I spoke first. "Derek, was your approach from the beginning all planned?"

Derek dropped the act and sneered. "You already know, don't you, Nina?"

"Alright. Get some rest."

There was no way I could sleep in such a dangerous situation, but drowsiness hit me like a wave.

Before I lost consciousness, I glanced at the incense burner on the table.

8.

The road to Myanmar was bumpy. When I woke up, all I could hear was crying. In the dim container, I couldn't see anything.

"Sis, you're awake."

It was Gigi, Tank's girlfriend.

"Where are we?" I already knew the answer, but I wanted to hear it from someone else.

Gigi smiled bitterly. "We're on our way to Myanmar. I'm sorry, sis. I lied to you. I couldn't take Tank's abuse anymore, so I helped them trick you. That call wasn't from me."

As she spoke, she started crying on my shoulder.

I couldn't muster any sympathy for her.

I peered through the gaps in the container. The truck drove for over three hours before stopping. When the container opened, I saw two big guys guarding us.

"Hurry up! Move it!"

Some girls were too scared to get off and were yanked out and thrown to the ground. "Get up!"

The commotion caught Derek's attention. He looked over. "What's going on?"

One of the guards glanced at the girl on the ground dismissively. "Just dragging their feet."

9.

Derek exhaled smoke and walked toward me. "Nina, if you cooperate, I won't hurt you."

I sneered back. "Cooperate how? Hand over my heart or donate my corneas?"

Derek's face hardened. "Mr. Silas is coming tonight. If you can please him, you'll live."

I wanted to kill Derek. I'd known he was a scumbag, but I never imagined he'd sink this low.

"Thanks a lot. The first thing I'll do when I rise to power is kill you."

"Nina!" Derek glared at me. "This isn't home. If you want to die, just say the word, and I'll send you off."

*Slap.* My palm stung. "Derek, you played with my feelings and sold me here. Just wait—it's either you or me."

Tank saw this and walked over with a smirk. "Boss Derek, you're losing face getting slapped by a woman. Pathetic."

"Get lost!"

10.

We were all locked in a damp, dark basement. From the guards, I learned that Mr. Silas was coming tonight.

I'm a therapist.

From their expressions, I could tell they respected—even feared—this Mr. Silas.

To survive, I did everything I could to stand out. Eventually, I was chosen to serve Mr. Silas.

The night was quiet.

I lay in bed, my heart pounding.

The door opened from the outside.

He sat on the sofa and lit a cigarette, the faint glow flickering.

I threw off the covers and got out of bed. In the darkness, I couldn't make out his face, but I could feel the pressure radiating from him.

I stood obediently beside Mr. Silas.

"Turn on the light."

His voice was beautiful. It sounded familiar. I didn't dare dawdle and hurried to the door to flip the switch.

*Click.* The room was flooded with light.

I was dumbfounded.

"Uncle Silas?!"

11.

The moment I said that, Silas's gaze landed on me.

His dark eyes were as deep as a cold pool, sharp and piercing. "Who brought you here?"

I was still reeling from the fact that my uncle Silas was the revered Mr. Silas in Myanmar.

Silas was my dad's friend. I was supposed to call him "big brother," but my dad, drunk, insisted I call him "uncle."

Back then, both our faces soured.

I was annoyed because it lowered my status.

I guessed Silas felt it made him sound old.

"Do I need to repeat myself?"

I shook my head frantically. "Derek kidnapped me. There are other women my age too. Uncle Silas, you're not in on this, are you?" I asked hesitantly.

Silas stood up, walked over to me, and tucked a stray strand of hair behind my ear with his slender fingers. "Don't worry about things you shouldn't, kid. Get some rest."

He turned to leave.

I hugged him from behind and called out softly, "Uncle Silas."

I felt his body stiffen.

His back tensed, and his voice carried a strange hoarseness. "Let go."

"Uncle Silas, are you going to abandon me again?"

"Nina, do you know what you're doing?"

12.

The next morning, I came out of Silas's room and went downstairs to find Derek and Tank.

"Nina, I didn't expect you to be so capable. You actually latched onto Mr. Silas."

Tank's words dripped with sarcasm. In their eyes, even if I stayed in the villa, I was just Mr. Silas's plaything, someone to toy with in his spare time.

I deliberately revealed the marks on my collarbone. "Derek went to all the trouble to set this up for me. How could I disappoint him?"

Derek's face darkened.

I walked over to him and lowered my voice. "Remember what I said? The day I rise to power is the day you die."

Silas came downstairs in a black shirt and black trousers, sleeves rolled up. "What are you talking about?"

I went over and linked my arm through his, acting coy. He glanced at me sideways, his eyes flickering, but he said nothing.

"Mr. Silas, have some coffee."

"Mr. Silas, try these grapes."

Silas took my hand and sat me down. "Stop fooling around."

His tone was indulgent but tinged with helplessness. Derek and Tank exchanged glances, unable to believe it.

Was this gentle man… Mr. Silas?

I said, "Oh," and sat obediently on the sofa. Silas pushed the fruit plate toward me, then turned to Derek, the warmth in his eyes vanishing. "Speak."

Derek's hands, hanging at his sides, clenched. "Mr. Silas…" He glanced at me, the implication clear.

I raised an eyebrow and pouted at Silas. "I guess I'm in the way. I'll leave."

Silas rubbed his temples and grabbed my wrist. "Sit down and eat your fruit." He gestured for Derek to continue. "From now on, don't hide anything from Nina."

Derek looked reluctant but had no choice but to obey. "Fine."

"We brought a lot of people from the capital this time. Some of them have degrees in medicine and chemistry. If we can use them, that's ideal."

Silas lit a cigarette. Behind the haze, his eyes seemed to be calculating something. After a moment, he nodded slowly. "Keep the obedient ones. Get rid of the rest."

My fingers tightened around the fruit fork until they turned white. All night, I'd been convincing myself that Uncle Silas couldn't be involved in this business. There had to be a misunderstanding.

But hearing their conversation now, I had to believe it.

I hated traffickers more than anything. When I was little, my mom was trafficked to Myanmar. By the time they found her, her organs had been harvested.

13.

Silas didn't restrict my freedom, but I couldn't leave the villa without a chaperone.

One day, Derek took me to a market in Myanmar. I acted interested in everything, but I was really scoping out the place.

Derek tossed his cigarette butt on the ground and crushed it. "Nina, drop your little schemes. You're not getting out of here."

I ignored him. "Idiot."

Derek fumed. "You—!"

I walked into a dress shop. "Boss, let me see that cheongsam."

The owner took one look at me and smiled eagerly. "Right away, miss."

I took the dress toward the fitting room. Derek tried to follow.

"Are you insane? I'm changing clothes! Do I need to call Mr. Silas and ask if he's okay with this?"

Derek checked his watch. "Five minutes. If you're not out by then, I'm coming in."

I opened the fitting room door. A woman covered my mouth and whispered, "I'm the officer who contacted you before. We'll get you home safely soon."

The police?

"Was it you who warned me about Derek?"

The officer nodded. "Yes. We have a solid plan to take down this criminal organization."

"I'll help pass information."

I saw the shock in her eyes. Who would willingly stay in a hellhole? I explained, "My mom was trafficked here by people from Myanmar. They harvested her organs."

The officer hesitated. "This isn't just a trafficking ring. Staying is extremely dangerous."

"Nina, are you done?" Derek's impatient voice came from outside.

"I've made up my mind."

"Stay safe. Take this phone. Contact us anytime."

I hummed in acknowledgment and shouted toward the door, "Yeah, yeah, what's your rush?!"

I pushed the door open. Derek suspiciously stepped inside to check. My heart was in my throat, but when he found nothing, I relaxed.

"What are you looking at? Just pay."

Derek grudgingly paid.

14.

Back at the villa, the sky was overcast. A sudden storm broke out.

I stood on the second floor, hearing screams in the distance. My nails dug deep into the window frame. I didn't snap out of it until Silas walked up beside me.

"Scared?"

I nodded honestly. "Scared. Very scared."

He laughed, a madness in his eyes I'd never seen before.

*Knock, knock.* "Mr. Silas, I need to talk to you." It was Derek.

"I know."

Silas spoke gently. "Get some rest."

"Don't go. I'm scared." I tugged at his sleeve.

Silas reluctantly took me with him. Derek was used to it by now. He opened his mouth to say something but thought better of it.

"Mr. Silas, the graduates I mentioned earlier have all agreed."

"Good. Make the arrangements."

Derek hesitated, then said, "Mr. Silas, the N9 batch is at a critical point, but it won't solidify. Any more delays and we'll miss the deadline."

I discreetly observed Silas's expression. It was rare to see him look so serious.

"Uncle Silas, I majored in chemistry. Maybe I can help."

As soon as I spoke, Derek shot it down. "No way."

"Why?"

"Nina, you were kidnapped. A few days ago, you said you'd kill me. Now you want to help? You're probably up to something. Mr. Silas, don't trust her."

I'd known it wouldn't be easy to gain their trust.

"Then how do I prove myself?"

Derek thought for a moment. "Simple. Someone needs a heart and corneas. If you personally remove those organs from a living person, we'll believe you. Deal?"

My heart clenched. That bastard Derek!

I looked at Silas. He said nothing. I knew if I didn't agree, I'd never get inside their operation.

"Fine."

15.

Facing their suspicious stares, I pretended to be calm, not giving them a chance to see through me.

Derek sneered. He didn't believe a woman who couldn't even kill a chicken could change so suddenly.

Derek took me to a medical room. Harsh white light flooded the space. The woman on the bed was pale as a ghost—it was Gigi!

The doctor who should have been performing the surgery stood there, clearly under orders.

Derek shoved a scalpel into my hand, a smirk on his face. "Get on with it. What, don't want to be one of us? Or are you a police informant?"

At his words, everyone in the room turned to look at me.

In this line of work, they'd rather kill a thousand innocents than let one guilty person slip.

"Derek, you keep calling me an informant. Maybe you're the real one?"

Derek raised his hand to hit me. I lifted my chin. "Go ahead. Hit me. Let's see how you explain it to Mr. Silas."

Derek's face twitched with rage, but he didn't dare actually strike me. He lowered his hand angrily.

"Hurry up. Stop stalling."

He sat down, watching me the whole time.

I looked down at the scalpel in my hand, my fingers trembling uncontrollably.

Two opposing voices screamed in my head:

*Use the knife to kill Derek!*

*No, that'll get everyone killed.*

I hesitated. Derek clicked his tongue impatiently, lit a cigarette, bit down on it, and grabbed my hand to force the motion.

He was insane!

The surgery required a sterile environment, and he was smoking in here. He didn't care at all.

I gripped the scalpel tightly. Derek guessed what I was thinking. "If you want to kill me, you'd better aim well. Haven't you heard the saying 'Bad weeds grow tall'?"

The blade was about to fall.

I squeezed my eyes shut.

"Enough. Let her go."

Hearing Uncle Silas's voice, my legs nearly gave out.

Derek and I turned around at the same time. "Mr. Silas, the surgery hasn't even started yet. Why—"

Uncle Silas didn't answer. He gestured for us to follow him out.

I was still shaken. He comforted me gently. "Scared you, didn't I? Go rest. Tomorrow, I'll take you to the lab."

I lay in bed, confused. Why did they suddenly trust me?

Was it because of my dad? Or did they think I wouldn't report them?

There was something strange about Uncle Silas's expression earlier.

But I couldn't figure out what.

My head started to ache, and I drifted off.

When I woke up, it was already the next day.

I pushed open the door and went downstairs to find Derek waiting. "Are you a pig? You slept for a whole day and night."

Hearing that, I glanced at the clock. Sure enough, a day had passed.

"What do you want?"

Derek looked at me before speaking slowly. "Nina, I've always known you're a fast learner, but I never knew you were such a good actress."

My heart skipped a beat.

"What do you mean?"

Derek didn't notice my unease. "You and Mr. Silas are uncle and niece. I almost misunderstood."

I breathed a sigh of relief, but my chest still felt tight.

Had he kept Derek behind last night just to say that?

I was curious, so I asked outright. "Is that all Uncle Silas talked to you about?" Since he already knew nothing happened between us that night and that I'd faked the marks, I didn't need to call him "Mr. Silas" anymore.

"Of course not. He told me some shocking things. Nina, you were born for this business."

"What do you mean? Finish your sentence."

"Come on. I'll show you."

16.

When I saw the lab, I realized what Uncle Silas had been doing all these years.

Tank came over to greet us when he saw us. "Boss Derek, Miss Nina."

He'd wanted my heart and corneas before, but now he was respectful.

Derek read my mind. "Now that you're one of us, you deserve respect."

If I didn't know Derek, I might have believed him.

In the lab, I saw some of the women who'd been trafficked with me.

They were all thinner, with dark circles under their eyes from lack of sleep.

Derek had a few supervisors explain the problem to me.

"The solidification issue is easy to solve."

Derek raised an eyebrow. "Don't talk big. These are experts in the field. If they can't do it, how can you?"

"Experts? More like criminals who'll rot in jail."

As soon as I said that, everyone, including Derek, changed color.

"Nina, watch your mouth. Mr. Silas is back home. No one's here to protect you."

I fiddled with the glassware in my hand. "If you could kill me, you'd have done it by now."

Derek gritted his teeth but didn't dare make a move. I guessed Uncle Silas had ordered him not to touch me before he left.

Half an hour later, I solved their problem.

The whole lab breathed a sigh of relief.

Derek gave everyone two days off, saying they'd earned it.

On the way back, I quickened my pace to catch up with the women. "Have you been working on this the whole time?"

They kept their heads down, silent.

Something was off. I stopped them. "What's wrong?"

One of them gestured frantically with her hands.

She couldn't speak.

Derek grabbed my wrist and pulled me away before I could process it. "You should be grateful for your connection to Mr. Silas. Otherwise, you'd end up like them."

17.

In the following days, Derek occasionally called me in to listen to their plans.

I felt like I'd gained their trust too easily.

After hearing their plan, I went back to my room, took out the phone the officer had given me, and relayed everything.

Derek's shipments were intercepted several times in a row. He knew something was up.

"Damn it! If I find out who the informant is, I'll kill them myself!"

Derek's eyes landed on me. My heart raced. "What are you looking at me for? I'm in this with you now. Would I turn myself in?"

"What if you're a plant? Nothing went wrong before you came. As soon as you showed up, our shipments got seized. It has to be you."

"I agree. Boss Derek, Mr. Silas isn't here. We'll follow your lead. Make the call."

Derek glared at me with murderous eyes.

"Search everyone's rooms. Leave no stone unturned. I want to know how this person is contacting the police."

My nails dug into my palms.

When I saw the guards bring down the phone, I knew I was done.

"It's that bitch! She's the one tipping off the cops. She cost us money and men. She can't stay alive.

"Mr. Silas is bewitched by her. If he comes back, we won't be able to touch her. Boss Derek, make a decision."

Just as I thought I was about to die, Derek shielded me. "Wait until Mr. Silas gets back."

I was locked up, unable to go anywhere. That night, Silas returned.

And he brought my dad.

Seeing the people step off the helicopter, I finally felt fear.

My dad was my only family.

The door opened from the outside. I tried to rush out, but Silas blocked me.

"Silas, I'm the one who tipped off the police. Take it out on me. My dad doesn't know anything. Why did you drag him into this?"

Silas sat on the bed, his brows furrowed with tension. "I thought you'd never betray me."

I took a breath. "The Uncle Silas I remember would never do this."

He bit down on a cigarette and lit it. "You went to college abroad, didn't you?"

I didn't know why he was asking. "Yes."

He let out a scoff. "Did you ever wonder how your dad, a mahjong addict, could afford to send you overseas?"

His dark eyes locked onto mine.

A truth I didn't want to believe dawned on me.

I backed away, shaking my head. "No, no, no."

Silas's cold eyes held more reluctance than anything. "Uncle, come in."

"Dad, tell me this isn't true. You remember how Mom died, don't you? She was trafficked to Myanmar and had her organs harvested. You said you'd avenge her."

My dad helped me up from the floor. "I did think that way. I even hoped the police would find the killer and bring your mom justice. But what happened? Not only did they not avenge her, I almost lost you too. Silas saved you. If not for him, you'd have died at the hands of those people years ago."

I remembered being kidnapped in middle school. The kidnappers warned my dad not to call the police, or they'd kill me.

Later, an older brother saved me.

"Nina, I pushed you to study chemistry so you could help your uncle Silas one day."

Tears streamed down my face uncontrollably, like a thousand needles piercing my heart.

The pain was unbearable.

"Nina, only when you're strong can you protect the people you love."

"Get out! All of you!"

That night, with a torrential storm raging outside, I cried in my room until dawn.

18.

The next morning, I placed the police phone on the table.

"Uncle Silas, I'm sorry."

"Have you thought it through?" He lifted his eyes.

I nodded and hummed in agreement. For the next few days, I locked myself in the lab, oblivious to the outside world.

In the villa, Silas and the others were discussing a deal with T-Country.

My dad took a sip of tea. "Silas, do you think Nina is really on our side now?"

Silas chuckled. "She's been holed up in the lab, working on the new product. Are you doubting her, Uncle?"

"I know my daughter. She's stubborn. She swore revenge. She won't change her mind that easily."

Silas didn't respond. No one could guess what he was thinking.

He instructed Derek, "You and Tank go together this time. No mistakes."

"Yes."

After everyone left, Silas personally poured my dad a cup of tea.

"Uncle, after this is over, I want to step down. You've been planning this behind the scenes, grooming Nina as your successor. But she doesn't like it."

I stood outside the door, listening. My fingers clenched tightly.

My dad wasn't happy with Silas's decision. He didn't take the tea.

19.

The day of the deal arrived quickly.

Derek and Tank left early. I was about to head to the lab as usual when my dad stopped me.

"Nina, come have some tea with your dad.

"Nina, I know you must hate me right now. I had no choice back then. To protect you, I had to—"

Before he could finish, I cut him off. "So you built this criminal empire and made Uncle Silas your scapegoat?"

My dad paused, then laughed heartily. "Haha! You're my daughter, alright. Smart. If you take over my business, it'll be even bigger than it is now."

I asked one last question. "Did you have anything to do with Mom's death?"

The teacup clattered against the table. Just as he was about to speak, I stood up.

"Never mind. I already know the answer."

"Nina, you're my only daughter. I'd never hurt you. Don't go to the lab today. Rest in your room."

"The research is almost done. If I stop now, all our work will be wasted."

"Someone else will take over. Go rest."

Hearing the firmness in his voice, I knew I wasn't leaving this room. I'd have to find another way.

Sirens blared outside. I'd been in contact with the police the whole time. The intercepted shipments were a decoy. What we'd really been passing were the layout plans.

20.

I looked out the window, gauging the height. I tore up the bedsheets, tied them together, and climbed down.

Chaos had broken out outside. No one expected the police to storm in so easily.

"Nina."

I heard Silas's voice. I glanced back at him, then ran toward the lab.

In the lab, I grabbed the glassware on the table and finished the work I'd been doing.

My dad and his men had taken refuge there.

"Stop! This is years of work. You can't destroy it."

All this time in the lab, I'd been developing a substance that could self-destruct and burn everything down.

"I never thought I'd come to hate you."

I laughed bitterly, ready to take everyone down with me.

My dad sighed. "Nina, you're even tougher and smarter than your mother. I never thought I'd be brought down by my own daughter."

Then came a deafening explosion. The entire lab went up in flames.

21.

I opened my eyes to a white ceiling.

"Nina, are you okay?" A group of people gathered around me. Their concerned voices left me at a loss.

"I'm fine."

Seeing my discomfort, one of them explained, "We were your mother's colleagues. She was a police officer who went undercover after graduating from the academy. Your father was too cautious. He never slipped up. In the end, it cost your mother her life."

A question lingered in my mind: Could an undercover officer fall in love with a criminal?

"You're not your mother's biological daughter."

*Boom.* It felt like lightning had struck me. But it made sense. My mother was too proud to bear a child for a criminal.

"Come to us if you ever need anything."

I thanked her and checked out of the hospital as soon as I could walk.

22.

I went to the address Silas had given me before he died.

In the explosion, I'd been ready to die. But at the last moment, Silas had shielded me with his own body.

"Nina, I'm sorry."

He'd used his last ounce of strength to push me out.

I used the key he'd given me to open the warehouse door.

Inside, I found several suitcases by the entrance. When I opened them, they were full of cash.

"Nina, this money is clean. It'll set you up for life."

I looked up at the sky, my eyes burning as tears fell.

23.

The police operation wiped out most of the criminal forces in Myanmar.

All the kidnapped women were rescued, but the physical and psychological scars remained.

Gigi developed severe PTSD and had been seeing me for treatment.

Derek and Tank were sentenced to death.

Evil is evil. In the end, good always prevails.

(The End)