Read Novel Full Chapter 509: No Blood Ties
Chapter 509: Chapter 509: No Blood Ties
"Raised me?" Annie replied. "During college, I survived on scholarships. I supported myself. Even now, in this apocalypse, I am fighting for my own survival."
She stepped forward, her gaze sharp.
"And yet you claim you raised me."
Annie then took out documented proof and showed it to the crowd.
"Not to mention," she added, "I even gave her a large amount of rice when she begged for help."
The evidence spoke louder than any argument.
When they saw the amount of rice listed on the receipt, everyone’s breathing hitched.
The number was far too large.
A murmur spread through the crowd like a rising storm, and Annie’s mother’s face twisted with fury.
She lunged forward, her fingers clawing toward the paper as if she wanted to tear the evidence apart.
But Annie calmly stepped aside and avoided her.
The movement was effortless.
She then looked at her mother with a cold expression that held no trace of warmth.
"If you ever approach me again," Annie said quietly, "I will make sure you regret every single second of it."
Her mother froze.
The color drained from her face.
"How can you be so cold-hearted?" she cried, her voice shrill and disbelieving.
Annie did not bother replying. She simply turned and walked away.
Seeing her leave, the woman tried to rush after her, but the surrounding people, already disgusted by her behavior, stepped in without hesitation.
Some began throwing whatever they held in their hands.
Dirty clothes flew through the air. Clumps of soil were hurled from the ground. Bits of dirty shoes followed.
The woman screamed, shielding her head as the filth struck her.
Fear quickly replaced her anger, and she stumbled backward before finally turning and running away.
Watching her flee, several people shook their heads.
"This is the first time I’ve seen a human trafficker act so confident while extorting the child they had kidnapped," one of them muttered.
Others nodded in agreement.
"I know about her," another added. "She used to beat Annie constantly. She even controlled Annie by using Annie’s little brother’s illness."
Their voices faded as they dispersed, leaving behind only whispers and resentment.
.............................
Meanwhile, Annie’s mother burned with rage.
Not only had she failed to gain anything, but she had also been humiliated in public.
’That ungrateful girl... I will make her surrender to me somehow,’ she thought viciously, already scheming.
Just then, a group of rough-looking men approached her.
Their clothes were worn, their eyes sharp, and their presence unsettling, like predators circling wounded prey.
The moment she saw them, fear crept into her heart. She instinctively stepped back toward the reception area.
The men smiled.
Their leader stepped forward and extended his hand.
"My name is Cain," he said. "I am the leader of the Black Vultures in these woods."
Annie’s mother stiffened.
"You had better not try anything funny," she said in a trembling voice. "Otherwise you will regret it."
The men burst into laughter, exchanging amused glances.
"You really are as impressive as Annie," one of them said mockingly.
Hearing that, Annie’s mother immediately assumed Annie had attracted these men’s attention. Panic and anger mixed inside her.
"If you dare touch me," she shouted, "I will turn into a zombie and bite every one of you! And I am not related to Annie. I have no blood ties with her!"
Cain chuckled softly.
"In fact, I have a proposal," he said. "If you agree, we can get you inside that gate."
Her eyes widened.
"You... you are telling the truth?"
"As proof," Cain continued, "I am willing to give you five kilograms of rice right now."
He motioned to a subordinate, who brought forward a sack and opened it.
But Annie’s mother only glanced at it briefly before looking away in disdain.
The grains were yellowish, some nearly moldy.
Compared to the clean white rice Annie had received earlier, this looked like animal feed.
The members of the Black Vultures stiffened awkwardly.
Recently they themselves had been starving, saving supplies just to secure deals, yet this woman dared to look down on it.
Cain quickly recovered and forced a smile.
"Think of this as a welcome gift," he said smoothly. "If you join us, there will be monthly supplies, quarterly rewards, yearly benefits, and even daily provisions."
Her breathing quickened.
Temptation flickered in her eyes.
"You... you really mean that?" she asked.
The group exchanged glances and nodded.
"Of course," Cain replied. "But there are certain things you will need to do."
She hesitated.
"That depends on what you want."
Cain’s smile deepened.
..............................................
Far away from them, another matter had been unfolding over the past ten days.
Grace had been behaving strangely.
She repeatedly approached Mia and Ava, bringing gifts again and again, apologizing over and over with forced sincerity.
At first, Mia and Ava returned everything directly, refusing even to speak with her.
But when they learned about Ivy’s condition, they rushed to Ivy’s building and practically stayed there day and night.
They only returned home briefly, exhausted, never bothering to check whether Grace had taken the rejected gifts back.
Grace, meanwhile, was drowning in regret.
’If only I had known they were connected to the base... to its representatives... I would never have dared to offend them.’
She clenched her fists in frustration.
Not only had she lost her chance, but Lily, who had been kind to Mia and Ava from the start, had gained everything Grace had wanted.
Lily could now rent a room in the base and had even secured an official job Grace herself had chased for months.
Everything Grace desired... Lily already possessed.
Jealousy festered inside her like rot.
’Fine,’ she thought bitterly. ’Once I gain influence through those two... I will make sure they pay for this humiliation.’
Hence, she had been suppressing all of her anger.
’Who would have thought that even after going there for so long, I still would not gain Mia and Ava’s trust?’ Grace thought bitterly.
No matter how much kindness or sympathy she pretended to show, they continued to ignore her as if she did not exist.