Chapter 291 The River of Blood 

Chapter 391 The River of Blood 

Back then, the Becks were still a small family. 

They had their eyes on a river near the hill town 

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The dean spring water came straight from the mountains; it was the lifeline of the whole 

At first, the Becks hired people from the hill town to fetch spring water, but this meant they still had to pay wages. 

To the head of the family at the time, that felt like wasted money. He was greedy. 

In the end, to increase their profits and rise into power, he and his family poisoned everyone in the town. 

The poison granted great strength to those who took it. But if they did not take the antidote within three days, their bodies would be completely paralyzed. 

Under this threat, the people were forced to work for them for free. They became slaves in all but name. 

No one wanted to live like that, so the townspeople fought back. 

They were willing to give up their lives, hoping to drag the Becks down with them. 

Sadly, they failed. 

The townspeople died, but the Becks survived. 

To punish the townspeople even more, they began to kidnap their children. 

Little by little, whole age groups disappeared from the hill town. 

Later, the Becks bought children from outside and brought them into the town. 

Huglan was one of the last people born there. A true native. 

Because of his special background, he ended up working as a child trafficker. 

The pay was low, and he often went hungry. 

Still, the Becks valued him enough to arrange a marriage for him. 

When Alice was born, the Becks and the Spencers were fighting fiercely for market control. 

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Chapter 391 The River of Blood 

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Maria came to the hill town for an inspection. She said she was looking for samples of medicinal herbs, but no one really cared about the reason. 

At first, the plan was simple. Kill Maria, and all the problems end with her. 

If Nathan suddenly lost his wife, he would be distracted. That would give the Becks a chance to turn things around. 

What they did not expect was that Maria was hard to kill. She had people protecting her. 

If Maria hadn’t gone into labor early, they wouldn’t have had the chance to switch the babies. 

They had not planned to switch children at first, but Karen happened to give birth around the same time. 

Someone from the Lawrences made an offhand comment, and that single remark planted a dangerous idea. 

Swap the babies, then kill or cripple the real child. That would deal a heavy blow to the Spencers. 

At that time, the Haydens were also slowly rising to the power. They suggested selling the real daughter instead. 

Huglan was appointed to carry out the task. 

The others agreed quickly. After all, this way, no one had to get blood on their hands. 

Sadly, because Maria had given birth in a hill town, the authorities were worried that the matter might be uncovered. Police patrols were frequently sent there. 

Everyone lived on edge for a long time. 

After that, Huglan noticed that the fighting in Mapleford had come to an end. 

The Haydens rose quickly to power and took the lead. The Lawrences also became a fast- growing force. 

Only the Becks declined. 

Huglan couldn’t read the situation clearly. With no one giving him orders, he didn’t dare act 

on his own. 

Later on, when Alice grew a little older and became harder to control, he was tempted to sell her again. 

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Selling Alice gave him taste fast money. Once that door opened, there was no stopping him. 

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Chapter 391 The River of Blood 

Thinking back on all this, Alice frowned. 

While on the road, she called Risa and asked for detailed reports on the three families. 

She didn’t do this just for herself, but also for the innocent townspeople who had died 

The Beck Residence. 

The Becks were now nothing more than a minor family in Mapleford. 

When dealing with out–of–state families, people would still flatter them a little. 

But inside Mapleford, they were mostly a joke. 

Many key resources never reached the Becks at all 

Just keeping up appearances was already hard for them. 

So when they heard that Alice and Eric were coming in person, they were shocked. 

Still, because they had once been involved in selling Alice, they remained cautious. 

They quickly informed the other two families. 

The Haydens, now wealthy and powerful, didn’t care at all. 

As for the Lawrences, both of their daughters were on bad terms with Alice. 

After some thought, the Lawrences said they were willing to support the Becks publicly. 

Only then did the Becks relax and invite Alice and Eric inside. 

Fletcher Beck, the head of the family, came out to greet them personally. 

Alice studied him carefully. 

Fletcher was about 60 years old, but he didn’t have a single gray hair. 

His suit was neat, his face clean–shaven. 

Fletcher looked sharp and well–kept. 

“Mr. and Mrs. Nolan,” Fletcher said politely, “why didn’t you let us know in advance? I could have prepared properly.” 

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Alice didn’t bother with small talk. She glanced at the crowded room, speaking in a cool voice. 

“Mr. Beck, should you have everyone step out first?” 

Fletcher understood right away. This was not a friendly visit; they were here to look for trouble. 

He stopped pretending. Fletcher ordered everyone to leave and warned them not to act without his permission. 

After the room cleared, Fletcher still wore a polite smile. 

“Mrs. Nolan,” he asked, “what can I do for you today?” 

Alice pointed to the computer nearby. “I need to use that.” 

Fletcher hurried over, turned it on, and entered the password.