Chapter 154: Chapter 154: The Entire Village Is Rotten to the Core

Renee Jennings sat in the car, the window half-down. She gazed at the mountains piercing the clouds, her slender brows knitting tightly.

"Renee." Kyle Morgan leaned over and tapped on the window. "Aren’t you tired? Come on out and stretch your legs."

Just as Renee Jennings pushed the door open and got out, she saw Inky fly over from a distance, apparently bringing another bird with him—a magpie, it seemed.

"Renee!" Inky chirped. "Robin is here!"

Renee’s eyes crinkled in a slight smile as she held out her hand. The little fellow immediately folded his wings and landed on the web of her right thumb.

"Renee, Robin brought a new friend over," Inky explained. "He’s a local bird from the village named Ash. He says he knows a lot of things. You can ask him anything, Renee, but you have to treat him to a big meal after you’re done."

A faint smile touched Renee’s lips. "Inky, you’re so clever."

’He actually knew to bring a local bird!’

"Hehe, Renee, you’re making Robin all proud!" Inky said, sounding embarrassed.

Renee said with a gentle smile, "I’m telling the truth. You can be proud; you have every reason to be."

Inky was, indeed, the smartest robin she knew.

She held out her other hand to Ash, who was circling in front of her.

Ash copied Inky, landing on the web of her left thumb. His small, beady eyes stared at her curiously. "You can actually understand birdspeak! This bird has never met such an amazing human. You smell really nice."

"Thank you for the compliment," Renee said gently. "Ash, do you know about things that happen in Yarrowdale Village?"

"This bird knows a lot of things." Ash bobbed his little head as if pecking at food. "And even if this bird doesn’t know, I can ask my friends and family."

"That’s wonderful." Renee glanced over at Kyle Morgan. "Kai, could you open the car door for me?"

"It would be my pleasure." Kyle Morgan darted forward and opened the car door.

Renee got into the car with the two small birds.

She took out some birdseed and said to Ash, "Have something to eat first. I’ll ask you a few questions in a bit."

Ash had never seen such high-quality food before. He let out an excited chirp and began to dig in.

Renee looked at Inky and asked quietly, "Did you see what they did to Evelyn Hollis just now?"

"Yes!" Inky nodded. "That scumbag male showed his true colors. He’s ignoring Evelyn Hollis now and had people lock her up."

Trapped in the dark room, Evelyn Hollis pounded on the door, shouting hysterically, "Let me out! Shane Lee, what is the meaning of this? Why are you doing this to me?"

"Stop shouting," a hoarse voice suddenly said.

Evelyn Hollis screamed in terror. "Who’s there? Who’s talking?"

"We can’t escape." The woman’s despair was so complete it resembled a strange calm.

"Who are you?" Evelyn Hollis choked out between sobs. "What is this place?"

"This... is hell." After speaking, the woman began to laugh madly. "A living hell!"

Fear flooded Evelyn Hollis’s heart. She pounded on the door even more violently. "Let me out! I have money! I can give you money! Shane Lee, I want to see Shane Lee!"

She never dreamed something so terrifying would happen to her.

Evelyn Hollis thought back on her time with Herbert Lee and slapped herself across the face in a fit of despair.

’That man was acting so strangely, and I didn’t even notice...’

"Are you saying that besides Evelyn Hollis, there are other women in that dark room?" Renee’s expression was grave.

Henry Stark got into the car, sitting in the driver’s seat and listening quietly as she communicated with the birds.

"Yes!" Inky nodded vigorously.

Renee frowned. "Did you see how many women were locked in there?"

"It was too dark to see clearly," Inky said. "There were at least three. One of them spoke to Evelyn Hollis, and another one was lying under the window."

"I see." Renee nodded, gently stroking his head with her fingertip. "You’ve worked hard."

Inky shook his head emphatically. "Not at all! It wasn’t hard work at all! Robin is so happy he could help Renee."

The serious expression on Renee’s face softened, and the corners of her lips curved up. "Thank you for being so good to me."

Inky said seriously, "Because Renee is even better to Robin, and you helped Robin’s friend, Baldy."

Renee smiled and looked over at Ash. "Ash," she asked softly, "can I ask you some questions now?"

"Yes, yes!" Ash replied indistinctly, still pecking at his food. "Go ahead and ask, beautiful and generous human. This bird will tell you everything he knows."

Renee said slowly, "Did you see what Inky was talking about earlier—the male humans in the village locking a female human in a dark room?"

"Of course!" Ash lifted his head, his small, dark-brown, beady eyes fixed on her. "That sort of thing happens all the time. Is it strange?"

"It happens all the time?" Renee asked, her brows furrowing.

"Yes." Ash stopped pecking. "This bird sees it often. Is there something wrong with that?"

Hearing this, Renee’s heart sank.

To Ash, this sort of thing was already normal; he even seemed to think it was the right thing to do.

’What about the people in the village?’

’What about the children?’

’Growing up in this kind of environment, they’ve probably been indoctrinated with twisted ideas from birth.’

’Is that what happened to Herbert Lee?’

"Have you ever heard them talk about why they do it?" Renee asked.

"I think... I think it’s for money?" Ash said. "They say that once they have money, they can live any kind of life they want!"

Ash blinked his beady eyes and couldn’t help but ask, "Oh, right, can this bird ask a question too? What exactly is money? Why do the male humans in the village like it so much?"

A flicker of emotion crossed Renee’s eyes as she murmured, "Money... It can bring people happiness, but it can also lead to their downfall. It’s the root of all evil."

Ash couldn’t understand any of this.

He thought about it for a moment but couldn’t figure it out, so he lowered his head and went back to enjoying his grand feast.

’A feast like this is a rare treat. I’d better eat a little more; I might not get another chance!’

Renee watched him for a few seconds, hesitating before she asked, "Ash, do you know where the female humans who were locked in the dark room ended up?"

’How do they treat those innocent girls...’

"Umm..." Ash paused to think for a moment. "Some go to live in the homes of male humans. Some seem to be sent to other places by things with four wheels. As for where they’re sent, this bird doesn’t know."

Renee’s long, curled lashes trembled slightly. After a long silence, she spoke again. "Our guess was right."

She lifted her gaze to meet the man’s dark, bottomless eyes, her tone thick with disgust and rage. "This whole village is rotten to the core!"

Henry Stark’s dark eyes narrowed. He clenched his jaw, his voice low and heavy. "They won’t get another chance."

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