Love's Perfect Match

Chapter 576 Encountering an Old Acquaintance

"I'm so sorry. I thought you were smart, but you're a reckless woman." Haris initially believed that Elspeth would be

at least well-prepared, but she did not even make it past the first line of his trap. I told her about this secret

passage, and she came alone and unprepared because she took my word for it. A trace of disappointment flickered

in his eyes, but it quickly faded.

"Did you drug this place?" She felt her strength ebbing away from her. Even though she could not raise her hand,

her mind remained sober.

"You must have been too nervous to realize the scent of the drug wafting throughout the room."

"What a sly man you are." Besides cursing under her breath, Elspeth couldn't say anything else.

"Do you know why I lured you here?" Haris chuckled nastily. "Your mom is ideal for the drug testing, and so are

you." As soon as he waved his hand, two men emerged from the corner of the room. "You two put that woman

back into the room and tie this woman in the inner room."

After hearing that, a trace of coldness flashed across Elspeth's eyes. "I won't let you go."

"I'll be waiting for you." Haris sounded regretful. "I can stay here longer because I'm used to it, but I'm afraid you

won't."

She knew that being a drug tester was harmful to the body. However, she appeared to have no choice but to devise

another escape plan.

…

On the other hand, Elspeth was shocked when she was tied up in the inner room she had never been to before and

discovered it was full of drug testers. All of them had mottled skin, sunken appearances, and thin figures. Some

even looked as if they were taking their last breath. The few who seemed reasonably lively saw her bound and

thrown in there, felt sorry for her, and closed their eyes.

Nonetheless, her hands and legs were tied up and pushed toward a corner. However, there was another woman in

the corner who appeared to be her age, but her temperament appeared to be calmer than Elspeth's. Elspeth could

tell the woman had been tortured because her body was abnormally skinny. The only thing that set her apart from

the others was that she wasn't bound, and she didn't appear to be plotting her escape; instead, she lay on the

ground in a submissive manner.

"You look better than the rest physically. Have you recently been sent here?" Elspeth believed that the woman was

her best chance or could at least gain a brief understanding of the situation by conversing with the woman.

"If you feel that everything here is new and interesting to you, you won't feel so curious anymore after you've

experienced certain things." That woman obviously didn't bother to entertain her. Then, she turned over and faced

her back against Elspeth.

"Why don't you escape when you're not tied up?"

"You don't have to know that." The woman sounded even more unfriendly.

Elspeth made an effort to initiate conversation but was unsuccessful. Nevertheless, she remained optimistic,

knowing the woman would eventually converse with her.

Then, around dinnertime, someone came by and handed the meal boxes through the small window at the door.

Unfortunately, those who had been here for a long time had lost their strength. They were all on the ground in

exhaustion and the woman was the only one who stood up and went to get the meal box. So, Elspeth tagged along

and took a box for herself. Even though they were drug testers, their food was pretty scrumptious.

Watching that woman eating with gusto, Elspeth approached her and sat beside her. "Is it good?"

The woman stuffed food into her mouth and ignored her.

Looking at the eggplants in the woman's meal box, Elspeth inquired, "I like eggplants. Can you share half of them

with me?" Every meal box had different food, so she stared at the eggplants as if longing to eat them.

The woman shot her a look of disdain before placing all of her eggplants into Elspeth's box.

"Thanks." Elspeth grinned. "I knew the daughter of the Rover Family is hot and cold."

At the mention of the Rovers, the woman trembled. "What are you talking about? I don't understand."

"Winter Rover. I remember you."

It had been a long time since someone had called the woman's name. She even nearly forgot what her name was.

When she heard her name at a place like that, Winter suddenly felt tears welling up in her eyes. Nevertheless, she

had always been a cold person. Even if she was moved by something, her eyes would redden at most.

"Why are you being locked in here?"

Winter Rover was one of her acquainted classmates when Elspeth was studying abroad back then. One of her

memories of Winter was that her name accurately reflected her personality. Winter, like the winter season, was

cold and indifferent.

On the other hand, Elspeth knew that Winter's outward demeanor was nothing more than a mask and that

underneath it all, she was a warm-hearted person.

Elspeth was chastised severely by her foreign professor for criticizing their motherland in class while studying

abroad. While everyone in the room watched her like a joke, the girl named Winter silently pinched her hand. "I

think you're right."

At that moment, she noticed Winter's name on the book's cover, which was how she recalled her.

Still, Elspeth was shocked that they would run into each other again after all these years in that place.

"I've always wanted to study traditional medicine, so after completing my studies abroad, I returned to learn from a

famous teacher, and that's how I met Old Mr. McGrath."

Elspeth could predict what had happened next after hearing that. Haris admired Winter's talent and took her on as

an apprentice, then used her as a drug tester under the guise of an apprentice.

"Still, why doesn't he tie you up?"

Winter chuckled. "My family is considered influential, so he doesn't dare to hurt me. I've been here for two years

and have only tested a handful of drugs."

Suddenly, Elspeth recalled when Haris offered to take her in as an apprentice and suddenly found it appalling. She

was afraid she would have ended up here if she had been determined to learn from him back then. Then, she

asked, "Have you ever tried to escape?"

Winter shook her head without a word but rolled up her sleeves to reveal the bruises and wounds on her arm. It

seemed that she had suffered a lot of torture.

Elspeth felt sorry for her. Since her hands were tied, she hinted at Winter to pull something out of her pocket.

"These are some ointments that I bring along everywhere I go. It'll heal your wounds."

Winter offered her a grateful smile. "Thank you."

"Don't worry about it, but I have a few more questions for you."

Winter kept the ointment and answered, "Go on. I'll do my best to answer your questions.