###Chapter 93: Walking Step by Step into a Trap
Nina Wainwright knew Zachary Hawthorne wouldn’t help her.
She watched in disappointnt as Zachary left for good. Numbly, she stumbled over to the sofa and sat down, remaining there in a daze for a long while.
A phone call finally pulled her back to reality.
It was from Mrs. Wainwright.
She pressed the answer button, and before she could even speak, Mrs. Wainwright’s shriek blasted through the phone. "Nina—ah! They’re taking everything from our house! You have to co back!"
Nina had no choice but to head ho first.
She considered calling Catherine Grant, but she was afraid of dragging her into the ss, so she gave up the idea.
When her taxi arrived at the Wainwright Family ho, Nina saw several n in work uniforms at the entrance, carrying out the family’s furniture piece by piece.
She rushed over and blocked their path. "Are you from the bank?!"
"Yes, we’re just here to do our job. If you have any issues, you should contact the bank directly," the man in charge replied to Nina.
Mrs. Wainwright ran out of the house, grabbing Nina’s hand and pleading tearfully, "Nina, you have to beg Zachary! Thirty million is nothing to him—"
"I already begged him. He chose to go on a business trip and said he wouldn’t give us a single penny. Just let them move it. The important thing now is to find Dad. Once we find him and pay back the money, we’ll get the house back," Nina said, holding her mother’s hand.
Hearing this, Mrs. Wainwright raised her hand and slapped Nina hard across the face. "You didn’t even ask him! You just want to see your father and end up on the streets!"
Nina said nothing, just pressed her lips together tightly.
’I’m actually used to her being like this. Wasn’t it the sa last ti? She’d slap countless tis for money.’
Seeing Nina lower her gaze without a word, Mrs. Wainwright panicked and quickly caressed her face. "Nina... Even if your father cos back, the money will be gone... He said he invested it... but I went to find the person he invested with, and they don’t even exist..."
"What do you think I can do?" Nina said, her voice hoarse. "You’re the ones who owe the bank. Even if I got on my knees and begged Zachary, he wouldn’t get involved."
’I don’t want to beg Zachary either.’
It was obvious that Zachary wanted the Wainwright Family to learn a lesson this ti, which was why he wouldn’t offer any money.
Just as Mrs. Wainwright was about to speak, her phone rang again.
She jumped. The debt collection calls these past few days had left her a nervous wreck.
"Nina... I’m scared to answer," she said, her eyes red from crying.
Nina had to take the phone from her mother’s pocket and press the answer button.
"If you can’t raise the thirty million, have your daughter co to the location we give you. We’ll trade her for him," a sinister voice said over the phone.
’I don’t know how many creditors there are now... Are these debt collectors hired by the bank?’ Nina wondered.
She didn’t speak, instead looking at Mrs. Wainwright, who was listening in beside her.
Mrs. Wainwright looked at her, but then imdiately snatched the phone back and asked the caller, "What location?"
Her lack of hesitation made Nina wonder if she was even her biological daughter.
Nina couldn’t hear what the person on the other end said.
After hanging up, Mrs. Wainwright looked at Nina with a pleading expression. "Nina... They said that if you go, your father can co back. After he’s back, we can deal with the debt... Maybe if you go, Zachary will help you with the thirty million?"
"Help ? Am I the one who owes this debt?" Nina retorted.
Mrs. Wainwright grew unhappy. "Are you going or not?"
"I’m not going," Nina refused outright. "We can call the police. Why should I go alone?"
’I have a baby in my belly. There’s no way I’m going.’
"Did I raise you for nothing?!" Mrs. Wainwright shrieked. "The house is gone, and now you’re just going to stand by and watch sothing happen to your father?! You just want to end up all alone in the world, don’t you?! That would make you happy, wouldn’t it?!"
Nina watched her quietly. After a long mont, she said in a calm voice, "I can go. But after I get him back, you two can deal with the thirty million yourselves. And if you have nowhere to live in the future, don’t co looking for ."
"Nina... Mommy doesn’t want to force you, but you can’t live without your father—"
"Stop making excuses for yourself. In your heart, I’m nothing, which is why you didn’t hesitate to have replace him. Whatever mother-daughter bond we had, it ends today." With that, Nina turned and walked away.
Mrs. Wainwright followed her, crying so hard she could barely breathe. "Nina... You have to understand the difficult position I’m in..."
"What’s the address?" Nina’s voice was ice-cold.
Wiping her tears, Mrs. Wainwright answered, "They said it’s here."
Nina glanced at the location displayed on her mother’s phone and said nothing more.
By now, she finally understood. She wasn’t soone who was wanted or loved. Not by Zachary, and not by her parents... The only people who were ever truly good to her were Catherine Grant and Adrian Pemberton.
But because of her, Adrian Pemberton had lost his chance to perform surgery.
After getting into a taxi, she unconsciously touched her belly. ’If Luna Sterling had ill intentions from the very beginning, if the entire Sterling Family was after my position... then this thirty-million-dollar debt was a trap set just for .’
Nina arrived at the designated location.
It was an abandoned building developnt, surrounded by overgrown weeds.
As she was about to get out, the taxi driver couldn’t help but ask, "What’s a young woman like you doing out here? This place looks dangerous."
"I’m here to buy a plot of land for a business. You can go. Don’t worry about ," Nina said, making up an excuse.
The driver muttered sothing under his breath but didn’t press her further, and drove away.
Nina walked around the area for a bit, then took out her phone to wait for their call.
After a short wait, she decided to send a text to Zachary Hawthorne.
"Zachary, this thirty million was a loan my parents took out after being scamd. Also, not long after Luna Sterling ca back, I received a ssage... If I make it out of this okay, I’ll tell you what it said."
’If sothing happens to , then let the secret be buried with forever.’
Nina knew that with her own limited abilities, she couldn’t possibly prove that Luna Sterling was connected to any of this.
She was just an ordinary person. Even when Adrian Pemberton’s hand was so severely injured back then, they could only swallow their grievance and do nothing.
After she sent the ssage, Zachary Hawthorne didn’t reply.
Nina sighed.
’He’s probably still angry,’ she guessed.
Just then, her phone rang.
Nina answered and said to the person on the other end, "I’m at the location you ntioned. What now?"
"Keep walking toward the abandoned building," the voice instructed.
Nina didn’t do as he said. Instead, she asked, "Are you Caleb Ford, or are you connected to Talia Talbot? You’re all working for Luna Sterling, aren’t you? Her goal is to get rid of the baby in my belly."
"I’d advise you to cut the crap!" the voice said nacingly.
"Even if you don’t say it, I know. But justice has a long reach. You’ll be found out sooner or later," Nina said as she started walking toward the abandoned building.
*****
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