Chapter 222: Gemma Will Never Feel Inferior Again
Village.
Dan pulled out a chair for their guest before turning to Gemma.
“Anne! Look at you–why didn’t you tell me we had guests? We didn’t even get a chance to prepare.”
Gemma–born Anne Kelestine.
She wasn’t even registered until she was seven or eight years old.
After escaping, she changed her name.
Gemma.
She had endured enough bitterness as a child–now, she was her own gem, polished through hardship, shining bright.
But the moment Dan called her that old name.
Everything she had worked for felt like it had been for nothing.
Under the table, Cassius gave her trembling hand a reassuring squeeze.
“She goes by Gemma.”
Dan laughed. “Boss, my daughter’s name is Anne, but if you like Gemma, then Gemma it is.”
Heat rushed to Gemma’s face–humiliation burned through her.
Cassius patted her hand again, grounding her.
That’s when she didn’t feel so bad inside.
“Anne–oh, no, Gemma–give the boss a toast,” Dan said.
Cassius spoke up before she could respond.
“She’s my guide. No need for that.”
Dan exchanged glances with the village chief, who let out a hearty laugh.
“Oh, so she’s guiding you, Boss?”
A sharp glint flickered in Cassius’s gaze.
“Mm. She has a good sense of direction.”
Dan visibly relaxed.
“Alright, alright. Let’s eat.”
Gemma had already wanted to crawl into a hole.
But Cassius didn’t seem to care about any of it, and Robin didn’t so much as smirk,
Little by little, her shame melted away.
After dinner, the village chief arranged accommodations.
Just as they were about to settle in, Dan called out.
“Anne–Anne! Come home with me. Your mother cries for you every day.”
He quickly corrected himself. “Oh, right, Gemma. Gemmal Come home. Don’t keep the boss up.” Gemma shook her head. “No. I’m not going back.”
Going back meant endless beatings.
Dan’s jaw tightened. “You’ve been gone a few years, and now you think you can talk back?”
He took a step forward, but the bodyguards instantly blocked him. He couldn’t get anywhere near her.
Seeing the menacing guards, Dan flinched and backed off.
“Fine! Whatever. I’ll have your mother visit you tomorrow.”
With that, he scurried off.
Gemma let out a shaky breath, only now realizing she was drenched in cold sweat.
Robin had the men secure the windows and check the room.
They found a bug. And a hidden camera.
Robin took out a small white box.
“This is a jammer. These things won’t be a problem anymore.”
Then, he sat down across from Cassius and got straight to the point.
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Setting
Chapter 772 Gemma Will Never Feel Inferior Again
“When Dan realized Dr. Kelestine was just a guide, he relaxed.”
Cassius nodded
Gemma blinked “And that’s bad because?”
Robin tapped his fingers against the table. “You grew up here. You know the village’s secrets.”
“If you bring oursiders in, you threaten their way of life,”
“They don’t want their balance disturbed.”
“So, the only solution is to get rid of the disruptor.”
Gemma frowned.
“But am I really a threat? I never told anyone why I came back. How could they know my purpose?”
Robin’s voice was firm.
“Only one reason: they are doing something so dangerous that they couldn’t afford the tiniest risk.”
Cassius thought for a moment, then turned to her.
“Is there anywhere here someone could hide?”
Gemma nodded. “That cave, There’s an ancient altar. The road we took before dinner–that’s the best path to get there.”
Robin caught on.
“So, they knew right away we were heading for the cave?”
Gemina hesitated. “People here know the land like the back of their hand. They can tell where someone’s going just by watching how they move.”
But something still felt off.
No one in the village worshiped the mountain god anymore. The altar was long deserted.
The shrine had been abandoned since she was a child.
Whenever she went up the mountain to gather herbs, she’d stop there to rest.
By now, it should’ve been nothing but ruins,
“There’s one more thing.”
He met their eyes, his gaze sharp.
“From the moment we arrived, we haven’t seen a single woman besides Dr. Kelestine,”
“And yet, Dan said your mother misses you,”
“If a mother truly missed her daughter, wouldn’t she have rushed over already? Why wait until tomorrow?”
Gemma lowered her head.
“You misunderstand. My mother doesn’t actually care about me, If she wants to see me, it’s probably just to ask if I’ve seen Drogo.”
Robin faltered.
Then something clicked.
“Even if that’s true–where are the other women in the village?”
Grimma let out a slow sigh.
“You grew up in the city. You were raised to believe men and women are equals.”
“Our village is different. Here, women don’t matter.”
“When entertained guests, women belong in the kitchen. They aren’t allowed at the table.”
“But”
A thought struck her.
“People here love gossip. Even if they couldn’t eat with us, they’d still sneak glances.”
“But this place is too clean.”
Of course, maybe the villagers had suddenly developed better manners.
But that was unlikely,
“Dr. Kelestine, if we go up the mountain now, will it be dangerous?” Robin asked.
Gemina snapped back to attention.
Til lead the way. We’ll be fine.”
Scorpions, vipers regular people might run into trouble.
But she had been climbing these mountains all her life.
“Let’s go while the night is dark,” Robin said, glancing at Cassius.
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Chapter 222: Gemma Will Never Feel Inferior Again
“Cass, what do you think?”
Cassius stood. “We’ll go. Gemma stays and rests.”
She immediately grabbed his sleeve.
“No way. I’m the guide.”
“And if I stay behind, I’ll just worry about you. Let me come.”
Cassius lowered his gaze.
She was holding onto his sleeve. And her words–I’ll worry about you–echoed in his ears.
His mouth moved faster than his brain.
“Alright. Let’s go together.”
Robin, “???”
What did he just witness?
The mountain path was rough, but Gemma knew it like the back of her hand. An hour later, they reached the cave.
Inside, it was completely empty.
But Robin’s brows furrowed.
“What’s that?” Something was shining in the dim moonlight.
Gemma scanned the area. And finally, under the altar, she spotted something—a cherry hairpin.
She picked it up, studying it carefully. “This… looks like a Gucci high–end custom piece,” she murmured, uncertain.
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