My Second Marriage with the Mafia Kingpin novel Chapter 445

Chapter 445: Hell On Earth

The sun was quickly setting over a private military base hidden deep within the mountains. The compound was massive, large enough to house hundreds of people.

As darkness approached, life inside continued as usual.

Tonight was the scheduled arrival of the month’s newest "recruits."

An old, rusted bus slowly rolled toward the heavily fortified gates. Barbed wire crowned the towering fences, while armed guards surrounded the vehicle as it came to a stop before the entrance. They inspected every inch of it, making sure nothing posed a threat before allowing it inside.

The bus was filled with people.

Men, women, and children.

Despite their differences in age and gender, they all wore the same expression — dread.

Their eyes were lifeless. Some bore bruises, while others still had dried blood on their faces. They silently watched the armed guards inspecting the bus before collectively turning their eyes toward the towering gates.

Children clung tightly to one another. Women paled as horrifying thoughts filled their minds.

The men had long since lost hope.

From the outside, the place looked less like a military base... and more like a prison. At least, it was a prison for those forced to enter.

For those who ruled it, however, it was their kingdom.

A place where they were the law.

Almost everyone aboard already knew they might never leave this place alive.

Almost everyone.

At the very back of the bus, one woman calmly applied another layer of lipstick—a striking, almost blinding shade of red. She puckered her lips before checking the result in the tiny mirror of her compact powder.

Ashley.

Her face was hidden beneath layers of heavy makeup. Her eyelashes were so exaggerated they looked capable of creating a breeze whenever she blinked. Dark eyeshadow framed her eyes, thick eyeliner sharpened her gaze, and several fake beauty marks dotted her face.

"The hell...?" Red muttered from the seat across from her, watching in disbelief. "She’s still not done?"

As far as he knew, she’d been putting on makeup since they boarded the bus.

As for how they’d gotten inside...

Simple.

They’d forced the driver to swallow a tiny explosive chip before threatening to detonate it if he breathed a word.

Despite the excessive makeup, Ashley’s naturally beautiful features still managed to show through. She looked almost unrecognizable—but undeniably attractive.

Red simply shook his head and leaned against the window.

Outside, one of the guards gave a signal.

A moment later, the massive gates slowly opened.

"It really is just like a prison," he murmured, completely unfazed.

Ashley and Red weren’t the only members of their group aboard the bus. Gin was with them as well.

Seated near the front, Gin quietly looked over the passengers. His gaze lingered on the children before he lowered his head, his lips pressing into a thin line.

His chest tightened at the thought playing in his head.

Every person on this bus had ended up here for a different reason.

Some had been handed over to repay their family’s debts. Others had simply offended someone from the Di Carpio family.

Most of the children were orphans who had been lured into traps.

A few had been sold outright.

Regardless of how they’d arrived, not a single one of them wanted to be here.

Gin slowly turned back toward the windshield as the bus crawled deeper into what could only be described as hell on earth.

That almost scared me.

"Hi." She gave him a playful wink before casually walking past him.

The guard raised an eyebrow as his eyes followed her.

Unlike everyone else, she walked as though she were on a sightseeing trip rather than entering a living nightmare.

A slow grin spread across his face.

Women were brought here from time to time, but even prostitutes usually arrived terrified once they realized where they were.

"Pretty," he muttered, licking his lips before turning back to the remaining passengers.

His expression instantly hardened.

"What are you all waiting for?" he barked. "Don’t make me drag you out myself."

The remaining people hurried off as quickly as their battered bodies allowed. A few limped, revealing fresh injuries that made every step painful. Fortunately, they all managed to leave before the guard’s patience wore out.

Once everyone was outside, they instinctively looked around the compound. Armed men patrolled every corner. Some people were looking out the windows from the buildings.

Ashley quietly surveyed the surroundings. Then, her gaze settled on a group of five men walking across the yard.

One of them carried what appeared to be a rolled-up blanket over his shoulder. But it wasn’t just a blanket. Dangling from one end was the small arm of a child.

Ashley’s hands clenched into fists as she silently watched them disappear into another building. Only after they were gone did she slowly turn her attention back to the compound.

A familiar sickness tightened in her stomach.

I thought I’d never come back here. And I never wanted to... especially not with my own two feet.

If there was one place she wished she could erase from her memories, it was this place.

Her eyes slowly hardened.

Maybe the only way I’ll ever erase this place from my mind... is by erasing it from existence.