"My men detected signs of life on three of those islands. They're not connected but follow a pattern where each island is separated by another. As of now, I can't confirm where the exact base is."The more Lucille listened, the more she fell deep into contemplation. "That's not right," she uttered.Hunter looked at her. "What's not?"She met his eyes. "Let me ask you—if it were you, would you leave those signs behind for people to discover?"Echelon 103 was not only known for its brutality but also for its mystery. Seeing how they had made a comeback, they certainly wouldn't have made such a basic mistake.Hunter gave it some thought. "So, you're saying it's a misdirection?"Lucille replied, "I don't know if it's a misdirection, but I'm fairly sure they're not on any of those three islands." She glanced at him with a questioning gaze, as if saying, "Have you been using your brain?"He stayed silent, knowing he would never be on the same level of intelligence as her to consider s
Spencer returned after two hours. Lucille asked, "Did you settle that matter?""Yeah." He approached her after taking off his coat."Was it anything tricky?""Just some issues with the construction materials for a new property development—the materials were destroyed. We're just going to have to delay the commencement of construction, but it doesn't affect anything. I'm too rich for anything to hold me back," Spencer explained.Lucille cursed Hunter in her heart. "Did you find out who did it?""A short circuit at the warehouse caused a fire. No one was hurt."Lucille regretted not giving Hunter the beating of a lifetime. He had such an unscrupulous personality that he deserved it. He'd said he'd done something to Spencer's new project. So this was what he'd meant!After lunch, Spencer took a nap with her.…Meanwhile, Barrett yawned in a car. "We've been hanging around her for ages. No one's shown up."Bethany kept her eyes on a nearby villa's entrance. She didn't want to mis
"Wake up, Barrett! Someone's coming out." Bethany finally saw something happening at the villa's entrance. Barrett was resting his eyes in the driver's seat when she patted him awake.He jolted and focused on the entrance. Bethany was right—a black MPV was leaving the villa. He waited until it was some distance away before he started the car and followed it.After a while, Bethany couldn't help thinking something was amiss."This road is a little familiar…" She thought about it. "This will take us to the Johnson residence."Barrett asked, "Should we inform Mrs. Layton?""Let's see how things play out. She only wanted us to watch the people at Windmere Manor."Meanwhile, there wasn't any hint of the holiday atmosphere at the Johnson residence. Things were heavy and gloomy. Everyone was preoccupied with their thoughts.Johnson Group's revenue had started showing a downward trend two months before the holidays. Their existing business partners hadn't renewed their contracts upon ex
Jane's gaze landed on Horace. She said bluntly, "I invested over a billion dollars in the Johnson family and helped it find its footing in Whiteloop City. Do you still remember what you promised me back then?"Horace couldn't help feeling diffident. He didn't say anything.She sneered. "Since I had the ability to help your family find its footing back then, I also have the ability to make you lose it."Horace immediately linked her words to the things that had happened recently. "Are you the one who's been messing with Johnson Group?""So what if I am? And what if I'm not?" Jane looked indifferent.Sabrina had never actually dealt with Jane in the past. She'd only seen photos of the latter. It was in this moment that she saw Lucille in Jane—they were equally cold and arrogant. Jane also carried herself with dominance; it was impossible to ignore her.Jane said, "Since you guys failed to keep your promise, it's only natural for me to take back the things I've given you, isn't it?"
Jane turned to look at Sabrina. The latter subconsciously swallowed upon meeting the former's sharp gaze.Ivy tugged Sabrina's hand, wanting her to stay out of this. However, Sabrina's mind was filled with thoughts of how Johnson Group was hers and that Lucille had no right to take it away from her."Since Lucille isn't Dad's daughter, she has no right to hold Johnson Group's shares. How can an illegitimate daughter like her own anything that belongs to our family?"Sabrina had been labeled an illegitimate daughter for too many years. She couldn't care less about anything else now that she could rid herself of that label. That was why she spoke with confidence.Jane narrowed her eyes at Sabrina but didn't stop the latter from speaking. Sabrina continued, "I'm older than her, which means you're the one who came between my parents. You're the real homewrecker here!"Jane laughed at that. Ivy didn't look too happy to hear Sabrina's words. She tried to stop her again. "Bree, that's
Barrett and Bethany didn't say anything. Instead, they handed her the photos they'd just had printed.Lucille took them and looked down at them. In the next second, she dropped the photos on the bed."We spent half a day watching things at Windmere Manor. A car left the villa in the afternoon, which we followed to the Johnson residence," Bethany explained. "These photos were taken at the Johnson residence's entrance."Lucille's gaze was still fixed on the face in the photo. Shock, surprise, understanding, and calmness flitted past her eyes. There was also something unfathomable there.She'd fantasized about this and guessed at the truth countless times. But now that what seemed to be the truth was laid out before her, she couldn't help wanting to back away.Spencer glanced at Barrett and Bethany. They caught his drift and left the room.Lucille looked calm, but her hands belied her true emotions. They were trembling as Spencer held them with one hand. Then, he placed his other ha
Two unwelcome visitors arrived at the hospital at 7:30 pm."I can't let you inside without boss' permission, Mr. Tucker." Mack and the bodyguards stopped Tucker at the ward's entrance.Melanie reached out to shove them away. She screeched, "Get out of my way! We want to see Spencer! What has he done to Taylor?"She and Tucker looked upset. Taylor had promised them he would be back on Connection Day but hadn't shown up. He hadn't answered his phone, and even his men couldn't be reached. Only then had Melanie and Tucker realized that something was wrong.Tucker had failed to find Taylor despite pulling some strings. So, Spencer was the only other person he could think of. He was the only person Taylor had competed against over the years.He'd gone to Layton Manor to speak to James, but James had refused to see him. He and Melanie hadn't even been able to step into the house.In the end, Tucker had found out about Spencer going in and out of Central Hospital recently. He didn't kn
Tucker wasn't a fool. Spencer knew that even if the Tucker couldn't understand him now, his words would plant the seed of doubt.Melanie and Tucker had kicked up a small fuss at the hospital but ended up leaving without any answers. Tucker looked preoccupied as he and Melanie left the hospital. Melanie didn't dare say anything to him, looking equally distracted.…Lucille was still engrossed in thoughts of Jane suddenly coming back to life, but she'd heard every word of Spencer's conversation with Tucker and Melanie.She watched as he came back inside the room and teased, "I didn't know you'd learned to lie, Mr. Layton."He caressed her head when he saw that she was in the mood to joke. "Taylor really isn't in my hands.""Hmm?"He smiled. "He's with Connor."Lucille fell silent. Connor was his man. Didn't that mean Taylor was ultimately in his hands? What was the difference?"So, have you thought things through?" Spencer saw that she seemed to be much better than before.Sh