Chapter 731

After stepping into the elevator, Mina finally patted her chest, still visibly shaken as she looked at Jane. "Jane, don't you think Rory's gaze is terrifying now? Even worse than before!" "When she stared at me, it felt like being watched by a giant venomous snake it sent chills down my spine!" Jane nodded solemnly, her small face tense. Even though she was mentally twenty-eight years old, Rory's sinister glare had startled her too. Back when she was searching for materials to build a time machine, she had once crossed paths with an assassin. That assassin had told her that people consumed by resentment could become addicted to killing. And after taking their first life, once they overcame their fear, their psyche would undergo a drastic change. Killing again wouldn’t frighten them instead, it might even bring them pleasure. Just think about Rory. After being threatened by Ainara, she had immediately ordered Aaliyah to arrange a fatal car accident. That alone proved how much more ruthless Rory had become. Jane was deep in thought when—**CLANG!**—the elevator suddenly jolted to a stop! The violent lurch made Mina instinctively pull Jane into her arms, holding her tightly. Jane blinked her large, obsidian-like eyes in surprise, trying to figure out what was happening. Then sudden weightlessness. The elevator began plummeting downward at terrifying speed! "AHHH—" Piercing screams and panicked sobs erupted from the other passengers inside. Mina’s face turned deathly pale, but her arms remained firm around Jane, even as her own legs trembled with fear. Meanwhile, Rory stepped out of the elevator control room, the corners of her lips curling upward in unmistakable triumph. Ha! Those two little bitches actually thought they could send her to juvenile detention or prison? As if she'd be as stupid as Ainara! If they wanted to mess with her, they might as well just drop dead! Inside the elevator. After descending two floors, the elevator suddenly jolted to a stop. Mina slumped weakly against the wall, finally releasing Jane. She patted her chest, still shaken, and whispered, "Jane, the elevator stopped... does that mean we're not gonna die?" The elevator was a cacophony of sobs and panicked shouts. Someone was frantically pressing the emergency button between choked cries. A baby, clutched tightly in its mother's arms, wailed at the sudden commotion, its tiny cries piercing the cramped space and tugging at everyone's heartstrings. Jane held her sister's hand tightly, her tiny fingers trembling slightly. The little ant she had been holding was already gone released through the narrow gap beneath the elevator door, now crawling its way out into the unknown. "Don't be scared, sis. We won't die!" Her voice, soft and sweet like warm milk, soothed not just her sister but the others in the elevator as well. The adults, seeing how calm this little girl remained, forced themselves to steady their own racing hearts. Soon, voices overlapped as they debated ways to escape. Jane kept a firm grip on her sister's hand while silently counting the passengers. Including herself, Mina, and the wailing infant, there were fifteen people trapped inside. Her small face tilted upward, studying the cramped ventilation shaft in the ceiling. With so many people crammed into such a tight space and only a tiny ventilation shaft, the air quality inside the elevator would soon become unbearable. Once the air turned foul, everyone trapped inside would be at risk of suffocation. And when that happened, little Jane and her sister being the smallest and farthest from the vent would likely be the first to collapse. Jane sighed quietly to herself. If only she hadn’t been so stubborn, insisting that her big brother go to work while she and her sister went home alone. She wondered if the little ant had managed to find help. Outside the hospital, an unassuming pure black ant scurried frantically across the pavement... Frederick stepped out of the car, striding urgently toward the hospital entrance. His brow furrowed slightly as he turned to Riley beside him. "Did you find out what happened to Jane? Why would her brother bring her to the hospital so early in the morning?" Riley fidgeted nervously. "N-no, I couldn’t get any answers. The Wallace family’s servants refused to say a word." Internally, Riley was panicking. Why did these kinds of situations always happen on his watch? When Rocco and the others were with the young master, everything always went smoothly! Was he doomed to another exile in Antarctica? Desperate, Riley mentally prayed to every deity he could think of. Just then, a sharp, stinging pain shot through his ankle like a mosquito bite. He tried to ignore it, especially with his boss already in a foul mood, but the discomfort was too intense. Rolling up his pant leg, he plucked off a tiny black ant. He was about to crush it when Frederick’s icy voice cut through the air. "Give it to me." Riley immediately obeyed, carefully transferring the ant into Frederick’s palm. The moment it landed in his hand, a small glowing screen flickered to life on the ant’s back. Frederick's face instantly paled when he saw the glowing screen. —— Inside the elevator. The air grew increasingly stifling, just as Jane had feared. She felt as though she could barely breathe, her head swimming with dizziness. Her sister didn’t fare any better her small face had turned ghostly pale. Just as Jane thought she might suffocate, a large hand suddenly scooped her up, lifting her toward the ventilation vent. Beside her, her sister was also hoisted into the air by another pair of hands. Looking down, Jane saw two unremarkable faces. The man holding her was a bespectacled, mild-mannered uncle with a round face, while the one holding her sister was tall and lanky. As fresh air filled her lungs, her mind cleared instantly. Overcome with gratitude, her tiny voice came out slightly hoarse. "Thank you, Uncle." The round-faced uncle smiled warmly at her. "No need to thank me. My own little girl was just born yesterday. I figured if I help you now, maybe someday, if my daughter’s ever in trouble, someone will lend her a hand too." His words sent a ripple of muffled sobs through the cramped elevator. **"BANG!"** Without warning, the elevator jolted violently. A terrifying sensation of weightlessness followed as the car began plummeting downward at breakneck speed. **"AHHH—!"** The fear that had been simmering beneath the surface erupted into full-blown panic. Screams tore through the air as terror swallowed them whole. Jane was held tightly in the arms of the round-faced uncle, her small hand clutching her sister's, who was being carried by the tall, lanky uncle... This time, the elevator didn't pause for even a second it plummeted straight down! Despair filled the hearts of everyone inside. Jane silently calculated the speed of their descent and their current position. When she realized that in just two more seconds, the elevator would crash violently into the ground, even she couldn't help but shut her eyes in hopelessness... Who would have thought? Jane, who only ever wanted to laze around like a salted fish, would end up dying in such a dramatic way. At least her death would probably make the news! She just hoped they'd use a flattering photo of her. If her brothers saw her looking good in the picture, maybe they wouldn't be too heartbroken... A nice photo would also help her maintain her perfect image in the hearts of her mom-fans and sister-fans.