Chapter 1413

Chapter 1413:

Deciding the girl’s fate was out of their hands, they left without further protest.

As the dust settled, the representative turned to Collier, glancing at the girl still trapped in his grasp. “Mr. Klein, what should we do with her?”

Collier let out a low chuckle, his gaze locking onto the girl’s furious, indignant expression. “I’m the one who almost got stolen from, yet you’re the one acting offended? Come on. I’m taking you straight to the police station.”

The mere mention of “police station” drained the color from the girl’s face. Theft was a serious crime in this place, and a trip to the police station spelled nothing short of disaster.

Her dirt-streaked face quivered, and her eyes—wide and strikingly bright—were suddenly brimming with unshed tears. The hatred she had harbored toward Collier melted away in an instant, replaced by sheer panic. A sob tore from her throat, loud and desperate. “I’m sorry, sir! I shouldn’t have stolen! Please let me go! I know I was wrong! If you send me to the police station, my family will starve!” She was crying so pitifully that even the subordinate she had shoved earlier could barely stand to watch.

The local representative stepped forward, arms crossed, unimpressed. “Mr. Klein, don’t fall for her act. These street kids are undisciplined thieves. Whenever they get caught, they put on a tragic little show, but their families don’t actually rely on them. They’re nothing but trouble.”

The girl, frantic, shook her head. “I’m telling the truth! If you take me away, they won’t survive!” Her gaze flickered back to Collier. “Sir, you seem like a good person. Please, I’m begging you—let me go.”

Her desperate pleas clashed with the representative’s dismissive remarks, the two voices overlapping in a noisy debate. Collier, growing weary of the back-and-forth, raised a hand to silence them both. “Enough. I’ll find out who’s telling the truth.”

His sharp gaze settled on the girl. “Take me to your home. If things are as you say, I’ll let you go.”

The girl hesitated for a beat before nodding. “Okay.”

Collier and his men then followed her through the winding streets until they reached what she called home. Only, it wasn’t a home—it was barely a shack. The representative, who had been so confident moments ago, was visibly shaken by the sight of it.

𝔾𝔸𝕃ℕ𝕆𝕍𝔼𝕃𝕊.ℂ𝕆𝕄 = 𝕆𝔽𝔽 ℂ𝕀𝔸𝕃

Then, from inside the ramshackle shelter, small voices piped up. “Is Sis back?”

One by one, tiny heads peeked out from behind tattered cloth acting as a doorway. There weren’t just one or two—there were many, all younger than the girl.

Collier’s gaze swept over them. They were thin, malnourished, their eyes hollow with hunger. Some bore signs of congenital conditions, their frail frames a testament to long-term neglect.

“Sis, who are they?”

The children cast wary glances at Collier and his group, their eyes filled with uncertainty. The smallest one clung to the girl’s leg, his voice trembling. “Sis, I’m hungry.”

She was starving too, but she reached down and gently patted the little one’s head. Her tired eyes lifted to Collier. “You see? Can you let me go now?”

Collier’s voice was steady. “Are these all your siblings?”

A young boy, his nose running, shook his head. “She’s not our real sister, but she treats us better than any family ever has.”

Collier was silent. Even the representative, previously so skeptical, was stunned. He turned to the girl, disbelief lacing his words. “You’ve been supporting all these kids… by stealing? Where’s your actual family?”

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