Chapter 5: A Bleak Future

Exiting the motel, Zoe was ushered into a silver van, taking a seat in the second row with the thin man blocking the door. Magnus took the driver's seat. After a few minutes, the last man emerged from the motel, climbing into the passenger seat with Zoe's notebook in hand.

He turned to face Zoe, and she got a good look at him—quite handsome, with a face somewhat reminiscent of Chris Evans, though his nose wasn't as prominent, and he sported a neat buzz cut.

He sized Zoe up, raising the notebook. "You wrote all this? Stocks? Soccer?"

Zoe's expression froze, her mind racing as if churned by a blender, her palms slick with sweat. "N-no... I found it..."

This was bad!

The notebook contained information on the bull market stocks from 2009 to 2019, as well as the scores from the 2006 World Cup. Why would this man, with nothing better to do, go through her notebook?!

"Found it, huh," the man said, his tone flat. "When you're ready to tell me the truth, you find him, and he'll bring you to me."

With that, he gestured to Magnus and said, "Drive."

Magnus promptly started the vehicle, but through the rearview mirror, he cast a fierce glare at Zoe.

Zoe's heart pounded in her chest. This was disastrous. The man, who seemed to hold a position of authority over Magnus, had her notebook. Surely he couldn't suspect that she had come back to life, could he?

Upon arriving at the Bucks County Grand Hotel, the man in the passenger seat exited with Zoe's notebook. Magnus turned to Zoe, veins bulging on his bald head as he snarled, "What was in that notebook?"

Zoe was terrified. "N-nothing... it's just something I found..."

"Damn it, you bitch, you better keep quiet and don't cause any trouble!" Magnus cursed, then drove off, taking Zoe to another tenement building.

This location wasn't the same as where she had escaped last time, but there was a familiar face waiting at the entrance—Lilith. "Hey, Zoe, you just can't follow the rules, can you? It would have been so much better if you had stayed and worked with us!"

Seeing Zoe being escorted out of the vehicle, Lilith chided her, leading her into the building. "What's this about Washington and Club X? You're aiming too high. Stay put here, and you'll be just fine!"

The room they entered housed only two people—Lilith and her own designated spot.

Once inside, Magnus threatened, "Let me tell you something. If you dare to run again and we catch you, we'll break your legs, do you hear me? We'll teach you a lesson, you think we can't catch you?"

Zoe was genuinely curious how they had managed to find her. In 2004, surveillance cameras on the streets of Bucks County were few and far between; it couldn't have been that. So how had they done it, and so swiftly? And who was the person that could command Magnus? The owner of Zero Hour Nightclub?

Surely not, to go through so much trouble for a runaway escort?

After a few more threats from Magnus and the thin man, Lilith interjected with a few kind words, and they left.

Alone in the room with Lilith, she tried to comfort Zoe. "Don't be afraid. As long as you behave, I promise nothing bad will happen to you. Stop thinking about all this nonsense. If it weren't for my word, do you think they would have let you off so easily?"

Lilith seemed genuinely concerned for Zoe, but once Magnus was gone, Zoe's fear subsided, and she inwardly scoffed. If it weren't for this bitch's tip-off, I wouldn't have been caught in the first place. What a phony act of kindness.

However, Lilith's next words sent a chill down Zoe's spine.

"Magnus lives next door. If you need anything, you can ask him for help. For the next few days, you'll learn from me. After that, a big boss is coming. It's all arranged. You'll entertain this boss for a few days. If you do a good job, you won't be disappointed, you know. Thousands, tens of thousands, it's all small change. You have no idea how envious I am of you!"

Lilith patted Zoe's hand, speaking with a meaningful look.

Just as expected, Zoe was being groomed as a promising talent by Zero Hour, which weighed heavily on her mind. This meant that any chance of escape was virtually non-existent!

She deeply regretted not leaving Bucks County altogether and moving to another city. No matter how they searched, she never imagined that the people from Zero Hour would be so resourceful!

Now, being brought back to become a stripper or a high-class escort, her future seemed utterly bleak. They had her firmly in their grasp. Would calling the police even help? The corruption in Bucks County's political scene was notorious. Take, for example, the wedding of County Magistrate Aiden Taylor's daughter in 2005, where over two hundred civil servants attended and donated over one and a half million dollars.

Given this, who would believe that Zero Hour had no connections in the city? Moreover, when Aiden Taylor stepped down in 2006, Zero Hour continued to operate without a hitch. The depth of their influence was unfathomable to Zoe, and she knew she was in over her head.

She could only take things one step at a time!

At night, as Zoe lay in bed, she watched Lilith lock the door with a key, and any hope of escape vanished.

The thought of being groomed into a high-class escort was distressing, but what kept Zoe awake even more was the loss of her notebook. Was the man suspicious or not? What did his parting words mean? Could he be the owner of Zero Hour? Judging by Magnus's attitude, the man was clearly influential, with a significant status!

If he suspected that she had been reborn, that would be a nightmare. The thought of being imprisoned, interrogated about the future, or subjected to experimental studies sent a shiver down her spine. She detested the original owner of her body.

What a tramp, just like all women who end up as prostitutes—so money-hungry that they'd drag me into this mess!

In a daze, she didn't know when she fell asleep. The next day, as Lilith was eating, Zoe quickly freshened up and anxiously ate something as well.

Then the training began.