When he got the news, Aiden felt his heart almost stop beating.

"Sir!" Some of his guards tried to hold him back as he was about to run towards the place where the corpse was found.

​​

"Find out where they found the body! Send in more people and expand the search!" Aiden ordered.

"Yes sir!" The guards then rushed out looking for reinforcements.

One of his bodyguards was dead, with a body covered in wounds. What really happened?

If it was only washed away by the flood, it would be impossible for the guard to die from that many stab wounds…

'Anya, where are you? You have to stay strong! You must survive!'

At that time, only Anya and Agnes were in the lifeboat. Agnes was accompanied by one of her assistants, while Anya was protected by two of Aiden's bodyguards.

Even if Agnes wanted to do something to Anya, she wouldn't be able to succeed against the two bodyguards. What really happened?

Aiden then drives an offroad car with a guard to visit all the shelters in the city and find out where Anya is.

But even until midnight, they couldn't find Anya. Aiden was exhausted while lying in the back of the car.

"Sir, I heard there is a small village nearby..." the guard said carefully.

"A small village?" Aiden was surprised to hear that. Why didn't anyone tell him about this?

"In the last few days, our lifeboats have gone missing. Someone might've been after us before. Maybe Madame met those people," said the guard.

"Do you know something?"

After hesitating for a moment, the guard said, "I used to be in a special force. I was in prison for a crime. When I was in the special forces, I served in this area. Apart from spice farms, there is also a poppy farm nearby. If Madame is in those people's hands…"

"Do you know someone there?" Aiden asked.

"I used to know one of them, but I'm not sure if that person is still there..."

"Quickly find out. We have to find Anya immediately!" Aiden replied.

"Sir, they are criminals. I suggest you not appear before them," the guard then added, "Mr. Galih owns a plantation in this place. Maybe he is more familiar with the locals than you are. Let him go to meet them,"

Aiden thought for a moment and felt his bodyguard's suggestion made a lot of sense. If Galih owned the land here, of course he knew these people much better. Maybe it's better for Galih to go instead of him.

Aiden is also a little suspicious of Galih. He is very worried about Anya and tries to find her whereabouts lately. But he didn't think about Agnes at all.

Based on his previous attitude towards Agnes, it seems that he really cares for his niece. But when Anya and Agnes disappeared together, Galih only looked for Anya.

Is Agnes safe?

Aiden thought about the incident when Keara and Nadine disappeared. At that time, Keara survived, but she did not return for three years.

Now, while Anya might have been injured, Galih decides to cover up Agnes' whereabouts.

Anya and Agnes were in the same lifeboat at the same time. Only Agnes knew what happened to them.

But why did Galih hide her whereabouts and not ask her to tell the situation clearly?

Or did Agnes not know what happened and couldn't explain anything so that she was afraid that others would further misunderstand?

Or maybe Agnes did something to Anya?

"Get someone to follow Galih," Aiden said coldly.

"Sir, the people around him are very alert. If we get caught following him, I'm afraid…"

"He dared to hide Agnes from me. What should I be afraid of? I only care about Anya. As for Agnes, I'll take care of her later," Aiden was sure of his intuition. He believes Agnes was the one who collaborated with the people who stole their lifeboats. He believes it was her who ordered these people to kill his bodyguards and kidnap Anya.

…

Meanwhile, in a dark village...

Anya lies on a floor made of wood. She's been trapped there for three days. There was a bed made of iron, and Aiden's bodyguard was seen tied to the bed, with his hands tied behind his back.

The bodyguard was bound and completely immobile. Apart from that, he was also unconscious.

There was only a middle-aged woman with a young child taking care of them, speaking a language they didn't understand.

Anya wanted to run away from there, but she didn't know the way. She was afraid that she would be caught before she could leave.

The people who abducted her also threatened her. If she dared to run away, they would kill the woman and her child.

Anya doesn't want innocent people to be killed and die because of her. What's more, that woman wanted to help her treat the wounds on the bodyguard's body using a plant she found nearby.

The woman didn't understand their language, so she turned her attention to the little boy beside her.

"Hello, how old are you?" Anya asked.

The boy hesitated for a moment and then raised his palm.

Anya is shocked to see him. How could a five year old be this small and skinny? The child could not even stand up straight so he needed his mother's help to walk.

Anya smiled gently and asked, "I have two children, they are twins. They are less than 1 year old. Do you know the meaning of twins?"

"They are the same?" The boy said doubtfully.

Anya did not think that the child could not only understand what she was saying, but also be able to speak.

"Yes, true. They are the same. When I left the house, they couldn't walk yet. But they are very naughty. They crawl, roll around and fight a lot." When Anya talked about her two sons, the smile on her face grew even more gentle.

She told about Arka and Aksa to the mother and child.

Arka and Aksa often fight over toys and milk, even though they already have their own shares. In a heated fight, Arka would scratch his younger brother's face and Aksa retaliated by scratching him back.

After that day, their nails were cut very short.

The kid laughs while listening to Anya's story.

"Are you a boy or a girl?" Anya asked.

"A boy," the boy replied.

"If you can meet my two sons, they will definitely like you right away. They don't have any older brothers," Anya said with a smile.

Anya helped the woman to look after the boy for several days. She knows raising a small child is not easy. Plus, the boy couldn't walk. Perhaps because of the opium grown all over the estate.

Seeing that his son likes Anya, the mother is not against her son talking to Anya.

"Do you know about spices? My father is the king of spices, Galih Pratama. He has a plantation near here," said Anya.

The woman's face showed suspicion as if she could not believe Anya's words.

"Don't you believe me?" Anya asked.

The lady says something that Anya doesn't understand. Anya looked at her son and said, "I don't understand your mother's words. Can you explain it to me?"

"My mother said Mr. Galih is a good person and likes to help others. When this man wakes up, he will help you to get out of here," said the boy.