Chapter 3

In the dim light, the girl huddled in a corner, her hands tightly gripping the collar of her shirt. Her shoulders trembled nonstop, her face covered in tears. She kept repeating, “Please don’t come near me… Go away… Please let me go… My father will pay you. Please don’t hurt me…”

But those burly men paid no attention to her pleas at all. They spat out disgusting insults and stepped closer to her. One of them even reached out to pull at her clothes, his face twisted with lecherous smiles. “Little sister, don’t be afraid. Just play with us. If you’re obedient, we’ll let you go and give you something tasty to eat…”

Seeing this scene, Ada Russell’s pupils constricted sharply. Images from over a decade ago flashed through her mind—back then, she and her sister had also been kidnapped. Her sister had been in the same situation, curled up in a corner, pleading helplessly with her captors. And she could only watch helplessly, unable to do anything.

A wave of overwhelming anger erupted from deep within her heart, burning away her sanity. She could no longer endure it. She stopped in her tracks, her voice cold and icy, shattering the filthiness of the warehouse: “Do you want me to join you in your ‘game’?”

Upon hearing the noise, those burly men immediately stopped what they were doing and turned around. When they saw Ada Russell, their faces showed surprise, only to turn into lecherous expressions soon after.

“Oh, another pretty girl? It seems like we’re really lucky today—two girls at once, haha…” The leader of the group, Ah Hu, licked his lips and stared at Ada Russell with lecherous eyes. He said in a flirtatious tone, “Pretty girl, since you’re here, don’t even think about leaving. Stay and have fun with us. I promise you won’t want to leave.”

As they spoke, the several burly men dropped the girl in the corner and rushed towards Ada Russell. Ada Russell stood still, neither moving nor speaking. She simply stared at them coldly, then walked step by step toward the girl in the corner.

Soon, she encountered those burly men again. Ah Hu reached out his hand, trying to grab her arm, while saying, “Pretty girl, don’t be shy. Come here, let your big brother hug you…”

Ida Russell finally stopped in her tracks, looked up, and spat out one cold word: “Get lost.”

The coldness in his tone made Ah Hu pause for a moment. But he quickly reverted to his arrogant demeanor and sneered, “Leave? Little beauty, aren’t you too naive? Once you’re here, you’re no longer in control of your own destiny. Even if you cry and beg me today, I won’t spare you.”

Their disregard and provocation completely ignited Ada Russell’s anger. Her gaze became even colder, and her tone carried an unmistakable warning: “I’m giving you five seconds to leave. Five, four…”

“Heh, daring to threaten us? Brothers, go ahead and catch that girl. Give her a good lesson so she knows who’s in charge!” Ah Hu was furious and shouted loudly.

Ida Russell couldn’t be bothered to talk to them any longer. She turned around and shouted at the cheetah and A Cheng behind her, “What are you standing around for? Tie them up!”

Cheetah and Acheng immediately stepped forward, with their subordinates also taking action behind them. The men brought by Ah Hu were no match for Cheetah’s men in the first place. Added to that, they had been intimidated by Ada Russell’s imposing presence earlier, so they had no chance to resist. In just a few minutes, they were all tied up and forced to kneel on the ground.

Ah Hu had his hands tied behind his back. His face turned pale instantly. He looked at Ah Cheng, unable to believe his eyes. His voice was filled with panic: “Ah Cheng? How could it be you? We’re brothers! How could you help an outsider tie me up? Are you crazy? Who is this woman anyway? Is she your mistress? How could you betray me for her sake?”

Acheng shook his head helplessly, looking at Ah Hu with pity in his voice. “Ah Hu, stop being stubborn. You’re the one who’s lived long enough now.”

“What do you mean?” Ah Hu became increasingly panicked. He had a bad feeling about things.

Acheng paused for a moment, then said in a solemn tone, “Do you know who that lady was who just spoke? She isn’t my mistress, and I’m not even worthy of having her as my mistress. She’s the leader of the Cheetah Gang, Miss Ada, someone we’re all supposed to respect.”

“What?!” Ah Hu was stunned as if struck by lightning. He collapsed to the ground, his face pale with fear. “What… what did you say? She’s the boss of the Cheetah Boss? That’s… that can’t be true! She’s just a little girl. How could she possibly be…”

He simply couldn’t believe that he had actually offended such a powerful figure. He knew how formidable the cheetah was. Anyone who could make the cheetah submit must be even more ruthless. This time, he had really gone too far.

Acheng looked at him, his tone filled with helplessness. “Nothing is impossible. This time, no one can save you. Whether you live or die depends entirely on what Miss Ada says.”

Ida Russell ignored their farce. Her gaze remained fixed on the girl in the corner. She walked over quickly, softening her tone. The coldness in her expression faded, replaced by kindness. She reached out and said freundly, “Hello, I’m Ida Russell. You can call me Ida. Don’t be afraid. I’m here to save you.”

The girl was still trembling. She raised her head, revealing a pale yet delicate face. Tears hung on her long eyelashes, and her eyes were filled with fear and wariness. She stared at Ada Russell for a long time, making sure Ada meant no harm. Then, carefully, she reached out and took Ada’s hand. Her voice was soft and slightly choked up: “You… hello. My name is Audrey. Thank you, thank you for saving me.”

“Audrey?” Upon hearing that name, Ada Russell’s body stiffened instantly. She clenched Audrey’s hand tightly, her eyes filled with shock and disbelief. “You… what did you say your name was? You’re Audrey?”

Audrey felt a slight pain from her grip, so she instinctively frowned and repeated softly, “Yes, my name is Audrey Cheng Yuno. What’s wrong?”

Ida Russell was stunned, her mind blank. Unconsciously, she relaxed her grip. Cheng Yuno? Audrey? How could this be a coincidence?

Over a decade ago, her sister’s name was Cheng Yuno. She always called her sister “Audrey”. After her sister was kidnapped, she never returned. Over the years, she’ve been searching for her sister, but has found no clues.

The girl before me not only shared the same name as my sister, but her facial features also bore a striking resemblance to hers. But why didn’t she show any reaction when her name was mentioned? Was she really my sister, whom I’d been searching for over a decade? Or was it just a coincidence?

Countless questions raced through Ada Russell’s mind. She stared intently at Audrey, her eyes filled with complexity: shock, anticipation, and a hint of barely detectable sadness.

“Aida? Aida?” The cheetah’s voice broke the silence. Seeing Aida Russell’s dazed expression, he felt worried and called out to her softly twice.

Ida Russell finally came back to her senses. The complex expression on her face was quickly concealed. She turned her head toward the cheetah, her tone somewhat dazed: “Ah? Uncle, what did you just say?”

The cheetah looked at her, his tone becoming a little softer. “I ask you, what should we do with these kidnappers?”

Ida Russell’s gaze turned icy again. Remembering what those people had done to Audrey just now, and thinking of what her sister had suffered over a decade earlier, her voice was filled with cruelty: “Lock them up for now. I’ll deal with them myself. They’ll pay a heavy price. No one is allowed to plead for them.”

“Wait a moment!” Just then, Audrey’s voice suddenly rang out, with a hint of urgency in it.

Ida Russell turned her head and looked at Audrey. Her tone softened instantly. “Audrey, what’s wrong? If there’s anything you want to say, just go ahead. It’s all my fault that you’ve been tied up here and suffered so much. If they really did anything to you, I’ll never forgive myself in my life. So, whatever you decide to do with them, I’ll follow your wishes.”

Her tone was filled with guilt and compassion. Whether this Audrey was her sister or not, she didn’t want her to suffer any more.

Kneeling on the ground, Ah Hu and the others felt as though they had seen a lifeline upon hearing Audrey’s words. They raised their heads, their eyes filled with pleading. They crawled towards Audrey, kowtowing non-stop: “Miss, please have mercy on us! Please ask Miss Ada to spare us! We realize our mistakes. We won’t do it again. Please…”

“Shut up!” Ada Russell frowned, her tone turning icy instantly. “You have no right to speak here. If you dare say another word, I’ll kill you on the spot!”

Ah Hu and the others were so scared that they immediately fell silent, trembling all over. They didn’t dare say another word.

Audrey looked at them, her eyes filled with hesitation and pity. She carefully turned to Ada Russell and asked softly, “Ada, what would happen to them if… if you were to deal with them?”

Ida Russell looked at her, her tone calm, yet with a hint of cruelty: “Death. It’s just that the way they die varies. What they owe you, what they owe those who’ve been hurt by them, must be paid with their lives.”

Audrey’s face turned pale instantly. She shook her head instinctively, her voice filled with pleading. “Aida, please don’t kill them. They… although they tied me up, they didn’t do anything to me. Why kill them? And I don’t want you to get into trouble because of me. It’s not worth it.”

Ida Russell was stunned. She looked at Audrey, her eyes filled with surprise and disbelief. “Audrey, you… you’re worried about me?”

Audrey nodded, a gentle smile appearing on her face. Though there were still tears on her cheeks, she remained beautiful. “Yes, I’m worried about you. You’re my savior. I don’t want to see you in trouble because of me.”

In Ada Russell’s heart, a warm feeling surged instantly. Over the years, aside from her parents and the cheetah, few people had truly cared about her. She smiled, her tone becoming more relaxed. “Don’t worry. I won’t get into any legal trouble. I can handle this little issue myself.”

“But…” Audrey wanted to say something else, but she was interrupted by Ada Russell.

“Alright, I know you have a kind heart,” said Ada Russell, looking at her with an affectionate tone. “Since you say so, I won’t kill them. But though they may escape the death penalty, they can’t escape punishment. I want them to remember this and never dare to do such cruel things again.”

After saying that, she turned her head and looked at the cheetah, her voice icy: “Uncle, for the one who called my father and demanded money from him, cut out his tongue so he can never speak any more obscene words. For the one who captured Audrey, destroy both of his hands so he can never do any more harm. As for the rest of them, destroy their families completely, so they can never rise again. Everyone else who was directly or indirectly involved in this matter shall have both legs destroyed, be banished from City S, and never be allowed to return.”

“Understood, Ada.” The cheetah nodded and immediately ordered his subordinates, “Take them away and handle them according to Miss Ada’s instructions. Remember, keep them alive. Don’t let them die.”

“Yes!” The subordinates immediately stepped forward, dragging Ah Hu and the others outside. Ah Hu and the others were terrified, but they didn’t dare to plead anymore. They could only wail as they were dragged away.

Audrey stood by, listening to Ada Russell’s words. She turned pale with fear. She looked at Ada Russell with eyes filled with disbelief. “Ada, isn’t this too harsh? They’ve realized their mistakes. Can’t you just let them go?”

Ida Russell turned her head and looked at Audrey, her eyes filled with confusion. “Is it cruel? I don’t think so. They’ve done so many horrible things. This is what they deserve. Shouldn’t I do this?”