Transmigrated Into The True Heiress-Chapter 74: Architect

Eira narrowed her eyes. "Was the only reason Rico wanted to kill him because he wanted his position in the gang?" She smiled, leaning toward him. "Is there something you’re not telling me? From what I know, it wasn’t long after Marianna’s boyfriend’s death that the gang was attacked and dissolved into their rival gang, and Rico went on to form his own gang."

The man shook his head. "I-I..."

"I would advise you to tell the truth," Eira said coldly, tapping the rod threateningly against the edge of the chair. "Unless you want to see how far I can go."

The man gulped, his body trembling as sweat dripped down his face. "Fine, fine! I’ll tell you! Rico didn’t just want his position. He wanted to be the gang leader, but after realizing that the rival gang was stronger than ours and that without the presence of select people it would be easier to defeat, he took another approach. He started recruiting various members of the gang—I was one of them—by sharing his vision for the gang he wanted, whitewashing himself, and spreading the leader’s unpleasant secrets. He did all this while using Marianna to get rid of her boyfriend."

Eira raised a brow. "And how did they get rid of him?"

"Poison. Rico had an associate who dealt in rare and deadly poisons. He gave Marianna a poison that I believe killed her boyfriend slowly until he died during the gang war. He also used poisons on others, and somehow, no one knew except those he told."

Eira turned and walked toward the table, gently placing the rod on it before turning back to face the captives, leaning against the table.

"Your words are very hard to believe because the Rico I know isn’t that smart. He’s the typical brute who prefers using his fists over his brain. Now I’m asking for the last time—are you forgetting something? For example, was there someone smarter pulling the strings? Someone who orchestrated this whole thing while letting him take credit for the dirty work?"

The man’s face paled further as he shook his head frantically, his lips trembling. "N-No, I swear! Rico did it all! There was no one else!"

Eira’s expression darkened, her patience visibly wearing thin. She took a slow, deliberate step forward, her voice dangerously low. "You must think I’m stupid. Rico couldn’t have orchestrated this alone—poisons, manipulation, whitewashing, and gathering intel? Not his style. So I’ll ask you one last time... who was really behind it?"

The man’s breathing quickened, his resolve crumbling under her piercing gaze. "I... I don’t know—"

Before he could finish, Eira loosened the straps on his arms, grabbed the back of his head, and dragged him to the wall. Without warning, she slammed the side of his head against the concrete wall with a resounding thud, her strength surprising everyone around her. The captives shifted in terror while Alessandro winced and Juan chuckled. Jania remained expressionless.

The man groaned in pain, his knees buckling as she held him up by his collar.

"Let me make myself very clear," Eira hissed, her voice cold and venomous. "I’m not here to play games, and I’m not leaving this room without answers. Either you tell me what I want to know, or I’ll ensure you never walk out of here again."

The man whimpered, his defiance finally shattered. Blood trickled down the side of his face as he gasped, his words tumbling out in a rush. "Alright! Alright! It wasn’t just Rico! There was someone—someone who gave Rico advice and resources! I only met them once!"

Eira crossed her arms, her tone icy. "Describe them."

"I don’t know much! They wore a mask, never showed their face. They always met Rico in private, but I overheard him once. Rico called them ’the Architect.’ He said they were the ones who gave him the plan for everything—the poisons, the recruitment, the alliance with the rival gang after the war."

Eira’s eyes narrowed as she processed the new information. "The Architect," she repeated, her voice laced with suspicion. "Did this person have any specific demands? Why help Rico?"

The man hesitated, visibly struggling to recall. "I don’t know! Rico mentioned something about paying a debt and mutual help, but I didn’t hear the details. All I know is, after the war, Rico was supposed to hand over control of some of the gang’s territories to them. But when the time came, he refused. Said he wanted to keep it all for himself."

A flicker of understanding crossed Eira’s face. She pushed off the table, her tone sharp and commanding. "And what happened after Rico refused?"

The man swallowed hard. "I don’t know exactly, but things started going wrong for him. His men turned on him one by one, and he lost everything and left. It was like the Architect had planned for Rico’s betrayal."

Eira nodded slowly, piecing the puzzle together. "So, this ’Architect’ didn’t just help Rico—they used him as a pawn. And when he outlived his usefulness, they discarded him."

The man nodded weakly. "Yes. That’s all I know, I swear."

Eira’s eyes narrowed. "And Marianna? Was she aware of this person?"

The man hesitated again, and Eira reached for the rod. He flinched. "Wait! I swear, I don’t know for sure. But Rico said she’d met them once. He didn’t say much about it, but... I think they made her a promise too."

"What kind of promise?" Eira demanded.

"I’m not sure, but I think it was related to helping her get rid of the fiancée of the man she was going out with."

Eira studied him for a long moment, her expression unreadable. Finally, she turned to Jania, who had been silently watching from the corner of the room. "Get someone to verify his story. Every word. And track down any leads on this ’Architect.’"

Jania nodded, shrugging. "Sure."

Eira turned back to the man, her voice softer but no less cold. "You’d better pray that everything you said was the truth, or the next time I see you, you’re as good as dead. Do you understand?"

The man nodded frantically, his body trembling as he stared at her with a mixture of fear and relief.

Eira straightened and walked slowly toward the last captive. The old woman, realizing she was next, started trembling as tears fell down her pale face.

Eira stared down at the woman and scoffed. "Don’t bother crying because if you didn’t deserve it, you wouldn’t be here. Now, stop pretending you’re a pitiful old woman who’s only ever done good in her life and tell me what I want to know."

The woman nodded hurriedly. "I-I will tell you e-everything you w-want to know, as long as it’s something I know. Just... please d-don’t hurt me."

"Just tell me about the orphanage."

The woman tensed before daring to glance at Eira. "What exactly do you want to know?"

"The reason your orphanage seems more like a hellhole to the orphans and why Marianna left as if she was fleeing. I’m sure you know her—she was very close to the staff, after all."

"T-that—"

"Old lady, I don’t want to hurt you, but if you really want a repeat of what happened to that guy in front, you’re welcome. Though, I doubt you’ll live through it."

The woman whimpered while hastily nodding, "I will tell you! I will tell you everything!"

"Then start talking." Eira ordered, her voice sharp and unyielding.

The old woman gulped, her voice trembling as she continued. "The orphanage... it’s a cover. We traffic children and teenagers to two countries: Mexico and Italy. But once they’re delivered, we have no idea what becomes of them. Recently, their demands have changed. They specifically request strong children—ones who can endure pain and are highly disciplined. The only explanation I can think of is that they’re being used as... sex slaves." She hesitated, lowering her eyes. "But one of the caretakers believed there was more to it. She discovered that those taken to Italy are often sold as maids, servants, or helpers. Some end up in brothels, while others are auctioned to the highest bidder."

Eira’s face remained impassive as she leaned slightly closer. "And the ones sent to Mexico? What happens to them?"

The old woman inhaled shakily, tears streaming down her wrinkled cheeks. "They’re used for experiments. Human experiments... those poor children."

Eira slammed her palm on the chair, causing the woman to flinch. "When they were being taken, why didn’t you feel pity for them then? Why the sudden remorse now? Don’t play the victim with me. Cut the crap and keep talking."

The woman nodded hurriedly, her sobs choking her words. "I-I’m sorry! I... where was I? Yes, ah. The children sent to Mexico... they’re taken for experiments. We never learned exactly what those experiments entailed, only that they specifically wanted kids aged five to fourteen."

Eira’s eyes narrowed. "And Marianna? Why wasn’t she taken?"

"As I said earlier," the old woman stammered, her voice shaking, "they only select children who can endure pain. Marianna... she couldn’t. Even the smallest cut would send her wailing like a baby. But the orphanage wouldn’t tolerate useless children, so she was assigned another role—she worked with the older kids who lured and persuaded the others to go with the men responsible for taking them."

Eira’s brows furrowed, a shadow of anger flickering in her eyes. "How often are these children taken to Mexico?"

The woman hesitated but quickly answered under Eira’s sharp gaze. "Every two years." ƒrēenovelkiss.com

Eira straightened, crossing her arms as a cold smile spread across her face. "Every two years," she repeated softly, almost to herself. Shaking her head, she let out a humorless laugh. "My stepmother deserves everything that’s coming to her... and more."