Isabella, who had an empty look, stared at the older woman in front of her. Isabella could see the disappointment and displeasure on the elder's face, the older woman stared at her with a cold and stern face.

"You made a tremendous mistake, 73584. How can you let this happen?" Grandma Sarah asked Isabella in a cold tone. The old woman clenched her fist. "You were one of the finest children that I raised, but you disappointed me."

Isabella remained calm upon hearing those words from Sarah. This isn't the first time that the elder visited her in the underground dungeon.

But this is the first time that Grandma Sarah brought a visitor with her.

Isabella's purple orbs went to a young woman who was standing behind the elder. The young woman has a short silky hair and her fiery eyes were black as charcoal, she was wearing a grey shirt paired with grey pants.

A Mom-in-training.

She must be a high scorer from the bottom rung.

Isabella wasn't surprised when she saw this. After all, she also experienced this kind of 'benefit' when she was still a student under Grandma. Sarah uses these kinds of methods to fire her student's desire to be on the top.

"I said I'll take the responsibility," Isabella replied with her calmest tone. Her eyes went to her palm. "I am ready to take any punishment that will befall to me, I am tired of living like this."

"This isn't like you, Isabella!" Sarah replied to her with a distorted face. "Are you going to make me disappointed every time that I come here?!"

Isabella let a smirk upon hearing those words.

'Then what is the real me? '

'Were you talking about the monster that you created?'

"Pray that one of the merchandise will fall in our hands again," Sarah told Isabella coldly. "You can only live if that thing happened. Losing you in our hands will only be a great loss, I persuade the head to keep you alive."

Isabella raised her head when she heard this. Her purple eyes became fierce for a moment, and the young woman who was standing behind Grandma noticed it.

Just leave them alone... 

Just leave me alone...!

Isabella remained silent but her purple sinister eyes showed coldness. 

"You don't have to," Isabella mumbled. "After all, will the head really allow that?" Isabella asked before glancing at the elder woman. "No matter how useful I am, I made a blunder. Abig mistake. You're just going to waste your time, Grandma."

"Isabella!" Sarah shouted with a distorted face.

The old woman momentarily gritted her teeth in anger, but she instantly calm herself after taking a deep breath. 

She's right, Sarah doesn't have to waste her time.

Sarah glanced at her student named Eniza, the top student of the bottom rung, who was silently observing them.

There are many women in the facility who could replace Isabella, she could just pick one to resolve the problem. Although Isabella is talented, her mistake is unforgivable. Saving her is a waste of time.

"Then I have nothing to say anymore, you already made your choice," Grandma Sarah told to Isabella with a cold tone. "I'll contact the head today, be ready for the interrogation," the old woman told her.

Sarah walked away from Isabella's cell.

Eniza was about to follow her, but she was suddenly stopped by Isabella's question.

"What's your name," Isabella asked her. Eniza who was surprised by Isabella's sudden approach which stopped her tracks.

"I'm Eniza, the top student from the bottom rung," Eniza replied to her. Her charcoal eyes stared at the woman behind the iron bar. "You must be Isabella, I heard a lot of you from the rumors... and... from Conny."

Isabella let out a smile. 

She leaned her back at the wall before closing her eyes.

"I'm not going to ask anything about her," Isabella replied to the young woman. "I know that she's doing good. All of my children are smart and intelligent, but Conny is cunning. It seems like I raised them really well."

Eniza who heard that from the ex-mom raised her brows. 

She can't deny it.

"Then why did you call for me?" Eniza asked. "Just to tell you this, I don't want to associate myself with a failure."

Isabella let out a sinister smile on her face.

"I just wanted to tell you that relying too much on Grandma... will bring you to death," Isabella told her with a mysterious tone. "I've seen a lot of people who end up like that. Especially those people who hold something precious with them."

Eniza stared at Isabella with a dumbfounded face. 

She's too stunned to speak.

Her words hit her.

"Eniza! What are you doing?" Grandma Sarah suddenly called for her. "Let's go, the head can't see you here."

"Y-yes! Grandma!" Eniza responded as she ran in Grandma Sarah's direction. "Forgive me, grandma, the Mom---- Isabella asked for my name."

Sarah stared at Eniza's reaction before glancing back at Isabella's cellar. "That's fine, let's keep going," she said.

Isabella, who was left in prison watched the two walk away. Her lifeless eyes showed a sudden curiosity when she saw the young woman named 'Eniza' glancing back at her for the last time. 

Isabella knows that kind of look from Eniza's face.

Hope, sorrow, guilt, and resentment. 

All of the familiar emotions on the young woman's face were too familiar to Isabella. All of them... She had experienced them while she was trapped in this hellish place. How can she forget those emotions?

Surprisingly, Isabella saw herself in her.

The young woman stared at Isabella's face with an empty look on her face. 

"I can't die yet," Eniza mouthed to her before calmly following Sarah's footsteps. 

Can't die yet...

"Can't die yet...Can't die yet..." Isabella mumbled to herself. "Can't die yet..." Isabella paused for a moment. "Did I live long enough?"

Those words lingered in Isabella's thoughts as she stares at the ceiling of her cell. Looking back on her life, she had too many sins and too many regrets that she wanted to correct... but it was impossible to do that.

If I die, then I will be free.

Isabella was certain that this end would befit her. She's already wounded to keep dreaming about a life with no restriction and pain. 

Death was the easiest route to freedom.

But who would've thought that fate will play jokes on her?

••••••••••••

"I will take responsibility," Isabella told to Peter who just entered the cellar. Her empty purple orbs were silently staring at the ground, she doesn't want to raise her head. "I already said everything to you."

Peter Ratri, the head of the facility, looked down at the pitiful situation of the woman. His eyes stared at her with no emotions, but on his lips, there was a smile that seemed to be mocking the lady.

"This isn't fun," Peter mumbled with a smile. "The tremendous mistake that you've done will make a big blow to me. You could've stopped some of those children, especially 22194. How are you going to take responsibility for this?"

Isabella heard the ominous tone of the man which made her on high alert.

"The queen was furious when she heard about this. If you only kept 22194, everything would've gone smoother," Ratri cackled. "As you can see, I am also furious right now, how can you let the perfect food for the queen ran away?"

Peter Ratri forcefully placed his hand on Isabella's chin. Isabella did not struggle from his tight grip, but her eyes were terrified.

"How are you going to take responsibility?" Ratri asked with a sinister look on his face. "Should I send you to the Queen as their replacement?"

Isabella's terrified orbs shooks as soon as she heard it from the man.

Threatening her with those words... Isabella knows that she's terrified of that idea of death, she'd been doing everything to survive from that kind of death, but this man just told her that she'll be going to experience that.

Damn you.

"So be it," Isabella responded bravely trying to calm herself. "I have nothing to lose now. I've had enough."

Peter Ratri let go of Isabella's chin upon hearing those words. "It was a pity, you were one of my greatest assets inside of the farm. How could make that kind of mistake?" Peter told her. "Losing you was such a pity---"

CLANK

CLANK

CLANK

Peter didn't finish his words when he suddenly heard loud and heavy footsteps coming in their direction. A frown appeared on his face before glaring at the iron bars of Isabella's cellar.

"Who was it?"

"I heard about the terrible news but you're not answering your phone," A cold voice suddenly responded to Peter. "How irresponsible of you, Peter."

Peter Ratri's heavy expression became bright when he heard that familiar voice.

"Smee! my old friend! What a coincidence!"  Peter Ratri replied with a bright smile, but that smile turned into grim when he returned his gaze to Isabella. "But you came in the wrong timing, I was talking with 73584."

"Peter," Smee, who just came to the underground dungeon, threatened the head. "I don't want to deal with your tantrums today. Come with me and we'll think of a solution to resolve the anger of the Queen."

Smee glanced at Isabella who had a petrified look on her face. The scientist avoided his gaze from the woman before returning it to Peter.

"It can't be..." Isabella mumbled to herself. 

Her eyes went to the newcomer's collar which was terribly organized because Smee hurried to the facility. The tattooed number on his neck made Isabella tremble in confusion and terror. It was too familiar to forget...

7158---

CLAP!

"Ah! I know why you're here!" Peter Ratri suddenly shouted before clapping his hand. A wide smile appeared on his face upon realizing something. "Smee, my old friend, how could I forget about it."

Smee glanced at Peter with a cold look before turning his back on him. "I don't have time to play words with you, Peter," Smee told him. "Follow me."

"Of course, of course," Peter said in a singsong tone before following Smee. "After all, I don't want you to be angry with me. You've come all the way here to help..." Peter glanced at Isabella. "Me..."

"Damn it," Smee frowned as he covered his neck with his left hand. 

'If brother James didn't refuse to cooperate with me, this will never happen.'

'What have you done?' Smee asked in terror. 'Where's James?'

Peter laughed as he shook his head. 'You aren't like Brother James, right?'

'Are you on my side, Smee? or should I call you---'

"Leslie," Isabella mumbled with a terrified face.

•••••••••

Lol Leslie? Who's that? I don't know him. （⊙. ⊙ ' )