Meanwhile, William was at Johnson Group. He had no idea what was in store for him.His secretary burst into his office without even knocking. "There's trouble, Mr. Johnson. Some people from the taxation department are here."Before William could react, a few severe-looking men in uniforms entered. One of them said, "We've received news that your company is involved in tax evasion, Mr. Johnson. We'll need you to come with us for an investigation."William was taken aback. Ultimately, he followed them out of the company. …Word of this soon got back to the Johnson family as Wilson answered a call. His expression immediately turned grim."There's trouble at the company, Mr. Johnson Senior. Mr. Johnson has been taken away by people from the taxation department," he said.Horace immediately turned to Lucille. "Did you do this?"She didn't deny it. Her eyes glinted as she sneered. "For your information, I didn't do anything. I only made a call to report what I knew. People can be se
Lucille snorted. "I thought you said you weren't afraid of Spencer."Ruben was lost for words. Did she just have to bring up the past? He stubbornly said, "I just let the matter slide because I'm kind. I didn't want to end up with you coming after me because I did something to him."He knew now that Lucille was no longer the Lucille of the past. She knew how to stand up for other men now.Lucille hung up and called Mavis to make some arrangements. Then, she called Spencer. She had no intention of keeping this from him. He knew she was going to Sylvania but had no idea what her plan was.Spencer soon answered, and she told him part of her plan, including why she had to leave Whiteloop City that night. As expected, he was fully supportive of her.He had a meeting, so he wouldn't be back before 7:00 pm. He asked, "Should I send you off?""No. You attract too much attention," she said.He didn't get mad at that. "Alright. Let me know when you arrive.""Okay."They chatted for a wh
Aaron and Mavis only arrived ten minutes later with Jessica.When Ruben saw Jessica, he teased, "Oh, so we were waiting for such a big star."He was actually surprised to see her. He hadn't expected Lucille to bring her along."Mr. Gale," Jessica greeted. Then, she approached Lucille. "What's up with the mysterious act, Lulu?"Lucille had told her to remain in Whiteloop City and focus on filming just yesterday, yet she had pulled something like this today.Lucille had even instructed Mavis to secretly bring Jessica to the airport. At the same time, Natalie had been asked to pretend to be Jessica while remaining at home, claiming to be sick. Lucille had even asked the production crew to give Jessica a few days off."I'm taking you back to Sylvania for a short trip," Lucille said."Huh?""Rey is getting engaged, so I'm attending the party." Lucille glanced at Jessica. "It's been ages since you left. It's time to ask Avery to give you another check-up."Jessica fell silent at th
Spencer received word that Lucille had arrived safe and sound."Boss, Dark Chamber reported that Mrs. Layton has arrived in Sylvania. She didn't go to a hotel, though," Mack said. "She went to Winton Estate."Winton Estate? Few families in Sylvania had that surname, and only one owned a place named Winton Estate—the Winton family, which came from a long line of doctors.It was hard to read Spencer's gaze. All he did was make a sound of acknowledgment.…Inside the study at Winton Estate, Lucille told Avery her plan. "That's my plan, Avery."She watched as his gentle expression darkened. After a long silence, he asked, "Do Reed, Marley, and Corey know about this?""No. The more people who know about this, the bigger the target," Lucille said. "Ben and I will be fine on our own—all you need to do is help us cover our tracks. We'll try our best to return on the day of Rey's engagement party."Ruben knew Avery was worried. He said, "Don't worry, Avery. Ten will be fine with me arou
Only Lucille would think of sneaking into the presidential palace in the middle of the night.She looked at Ruben. "Do you think anyone in this room can take me on in a fight?"In other words, if no one in the room could stop her, how could any of them sneak into the presidential palace?Ruben looked at the three people standing before them—Beatrice, Jaden Perry, and Mildred Ellis. They all shook their heads.Ruben fell silent. Jaden said, "Maybe Mr. Gale and I can do it together, Lucy.""No. You guys can just wait for me outside," Lucille said. "I'll hack into the presidential palace's surveillance system. The security there is top-notch, so it won't hold out for long. I'll need you guys to assist me from the outside. Now, let's get ready."The three said in unison, "Got it."Ruben was still worried. With a slight frown, he asked, "Is it really necessary to raid the presidential palace?"Lucille said, "Since there's nothing wrong with Amadeus Vonridge, the presidential palac
"That's not Lucille," Spencer said. He leaned against the seat, his eyes glinting coldly."What?" Kent and Bethany asked in unison.What did Spencer mean? How could that not be Lucille?It didn't take them long to understand. Kent looked incredulous as he asked, "Are you saying the Mrs. Layton we just saw isn't our Mrs. Layton?"Spencer didn't respond, but his grim expression was enough of an answer."But…" Bethany frowned. "She looked exactly like Mrs. Layton."That was what Kent thought, too. They hadn't noticed anything wrong with her figure, appearance, hairstyle, or outfit. Even her voice sounded identical!He asked, "How are you sure she isn't Mrs. Layton, boss?"Spencer's expression darkened. "By looking at her ring!"Kent and Bethany fell silent. They hadn't noticed that…In truth, Spencer hadn't noticed anything amiss based on any rings. That woman's distant attitude was what had thrown him off.They'd just spoken on the phone last night—she couldn't have grown apar
Ruben choked on his spit and coughed. Lucille watched him wordlessly. He said, "I suppose that is a problem."He rubbed his nose, his eyes glinting oddly. Then, he continued roguishly, "Well, if he can't tell whether that's the real or fake you, you might as well not keep him around."Lucille rolled her eyes.Meanwhile, Spencer and the others returned to the hotel."Boss, I've already asked Dark Chamber to track Mrs. Layton down secretly." Kent looked at Spencer, who was now seated on the couch. The latter seemed vaguely menacing.Spencer made a sound of acknowledgment before dismissing them. Outside the room, Kent asked, "Why do I feel like boss is exceptionally calm about this?"Bethany agreed. "You're not alone."Based on Spencer's track record, he would've gone nuts upon learning that Lucille was missing. Now, however…Kent thought about what Spencer had said before they'd left Winton Estate. "Do we still have to pick the fake Mrs. Layton up from Winton Estate tonight?"Be
As the night descended and the city became illuminated by flickering lights, Lucille and the others quietly left the hotel.…Several hours earlier, Spencer learned where Lucille was."Mrs. Layton is with Mr. Gale, the head of The Grid. They're in Arcania." Kent had immediately reported to Spencer after receiving word from Dark Chamber.He was only halfway done, though. He was hesitant to mention the second half of the report because it was so outrageous. "It seems like she to intend to infiltrate the presidential palace…"As he spoke, he saw Spencer's expression shift. All he could say was that Lucille really had the nerve to do anything.Sylvania's and Arcania's presidential palaces weren't that easy to infiltrate. According to their records, the presidential palaces used the world's best security systems, and their guards were the cream of the crop. They weren't places that just about anyone could get into.There were also many traps laid inside. If one were careless, they wo