"Now tell me, what’s going on?"‘Didn’t this fella say that he would leave with Liam before this? So why is he on this cruise ship now?’Hesper recalled Rickard's unusual response to her before they parted at this moment.‘Was he referring to our reunion here at the black market?’With this sudden turn of events, even after days’ worth of effort on Hesper’s part, she had no idea how things would develop now that Rickard had disrupted everything."We’ve always been here in the black market," Rickard replied helplessly. He was thinking about asking Hesper for an explanation a second ago, but she had beaten him to it. "The black market is connected to many factions just like the Andersons, and all of them have come here with their own agenda. It’s more convenient for us to look into things here."‘It’s no wonder Liam claimed this is a place that even Mr. Chronos would have some scruples about. The black market is extremely mysterious, and nobody knows who’s behind this entire operat
At this moment, Hesper had gotten a little too close to Rickard, so close that their breaths were almost brushing against each other. Rickard took half a step back while Kenji had learned to excuse himself from the room, leaving Hesper even more unscrupulous."Brother, you looked so solemn when we were outside. So, why are you suddenly so speechless now that you're with your biological sister?" Hesper genuinely wanted to tease Rickard, but Rickard’s gaze became dimmer and dimmer. She started to feel the danger and took half a step back.However, she stopped when Rickard wrapped his arm around her waist, leaving her with no choice but to shift her eyes away nervously. "We still have plenty of businesses to attend to!""I’m glad you still have your priorities straight. Stop challenging me."Upon hearing Rickard’s lowered voice, tinged with a hint of threat, Hesper knew he was only trying to scare her. However, she could not help but feel a little afraid of him when he was acting so.
‘Thank God that Rickard and I have discovered this in time, and no matter what, there’s still room for recovery. It’s not too late to do something now.’Originally, Hesper still had some playful thoughts, but everything had changed. If they failed to turn the tide and salvage the current situation, the second hallucinogenic drug would undoubtedly emerge in this black market.Therefore, there was no room for mistakes.It was clear that none of the three Anderson brothers were kind. They might treat each other politely as they vied for the position in the family, but in reality, once Briar or Dean took over as the patriarch of the Andersons, they would instantly make the other person’s life a living hell.If Hesper were to stand with Dean now, she would be betting everything on Dean winning."Their purpose for coming to the black market is to locate Chelsea, as whoever finds her first will gain access to her abilities," Rickard said. "Chelsea is the key to everything."Hesper had a
Hesper thought about it and realized it made sense, so she obediently waited for Kenji to bring her the food. However, her mind did not stop processing every piece of information during this waiting period.‘If the young man does hold extraordinary meaning to the mastermind, then it’s very likely that the person knows what these drugs were from the very beginning, which means that the owner had tacitly approved its sales here.'But this doesn’t mean anything, as the black market is inherently a place where all sorts of goods are traded, and the owner couldn’t realistically control what is being sold here. This is simply the nature of all black markets.’As she collected her thoughts, Hesper noticed Rickard staring at her from the side. A little taken aback for a split second, she touched her face and looked at Rickard with a hint of bewilderment. "What’s wrong? Is there something on my face?”Rickard shook his head. "It’s just that I haven’t seen you in days."It was rare to hear
Since Dean was busted by Briar and Norman, he should not have time to care about Hesper. However, to be on the safe side, Hesper told Kenji to leave first before leaving with Rickard.They avoided making contact with anyone and left the room as soon as possible. After Hesper confirmed that they were safe, she heaved a sigh of relief.It seemed to them that nobody learned of their identity, and Hesper felt relieved while walking among the crowd. They could not go to the shop directly, as it might raise suspicion if someone saw them. Therefore, they walked along the rooms while browsing through a few shops.This process was relatively relaxing. Hesper almost felt like they were no different from an ordinary couple. Occasionally, they would buy a few small items. Even though they had done the same thing the day before, it somehow felt different.Kenji felt like a third wheel following behind them, but there was nothing he could do. He could not just walk away and leave them alone to f
Lucian had likely experienced similar situations before, but Hesper could tell that he seemed to be somewhat protective of the other girl. Sure enough, the next moment, Lucian spoke up."It's not because we know each other that she's allowed to buy that medication first, but rather because this person is our business partner. In theory, she does have priority purchasing rights. My staff didn't explain this properly, and I'm truly sorry about that. I hope you can understand," Lucian explained.Although Joanna refused to let go, she accepted the Lucian's explanation. She stared at the woman for a while before leaving. Hesper raised an eyebrow. Lucian seemed different. He appeared somewhat pitiable and fragile last time, but the young man before her now seemed to be very decisive. He even stepped forward to manage the chaotic scene.As Hesper was lost in thought for a moment, Rickard suddenly came from behind and tapped her on the head. She looked up in a daze and noticed that Lucian
"Isn't this a bit inconvenient?" Hesper asked. "Apart from the black market, is there no other way to contact you? Our demand for this medication is quite substantial. We've heard about it for a while, but it's not easy to come by."Chelsea remained silent for a moment, seemingly considering her options. Eventually, she said, "I can't supply that much right now. Whatever I can produce will be sold at each black market. If you want it, please come early."After that, Chelsea did not hesitate and left the shop. Hesper raised an eyebrow. Chelsea was much more cautious than Fenix. It was not easy to gain her trust with just a few casual words. Nonetheless, today's encounter had been somewhat unexpected, so it was not a complete loss."I'm sure you didn't come here just to run into that girl," Lucian said after Chelsea had left. "You must have come to find me, and you probably already know my identity. Am I right, Mr. Chronos? And I haven't gotten to know your name yet, Miss."Rickard d
After all, Hesper found it difficult to trust them, be it Lucian or the owner of the black market. The owner of the black market was unpredictable, and Hesper did not believe they were his trump card. Whether it was Lucian or the mysterious owner of the black market, Hesper did not doubt that they had their own agendas.Sensing Hesper's hesitation, Lucian knew that his words alone were not enough to convince her. He said, "I understand you don't trust me, and I don't need to make extravagant claims. I can't influence the owner's thoughts, but I can guarantee my commitment."As a trusted confidant of the black market owner, his words carried significant weight within the black market."You can ask for any proof you want, as long as it helps you trust me," Lucian added, sincerity evident in his eyes. Hesper fell silent and contemplated. If Lucian was telling the truth, he would be a great ally. Even though she remained cautious from a rational perspective, a voice inside her told
He had never anticipated that he would end up loving her so deeply.It could be said that amidst all the misunderstandings and complexities, their journey together had taken many winding paths."I wouldn't risk getting into trouble just to set off fireworks for someone I didn't even like," Rickard said, his voice gentle. "You dummy."His words were soft, but as Hesper listened to his explanation, she cleared her throat, and her eyes turned bloodshot. She had never imagined that the person she had loved so intensely in her youth had, at some point in their lives, secretly admired her.Hesper attempted to smile but ended up with teary eyes. Seeing this, Rickard reached out and affectionately ruffled her hair. "If it's going to make you cry, I won't say anything more."Hesper pursed her lips. "If you don't want to talk about it, then don't."Rickard, despite understanding her reluctance, couldn't help but reflect on the past and openly admitted to the emotions he had felt in his you
They were flooded with memories, and Hesper couldn't help but admit that she had been through so much with Rickard. Her eyes welled up with emotion.The livestream ended, as they couldn't maintain constant surveillance of their lives. Even though they hadn't gone home yet, the crew had left.In the past two days, people had gotten to know them quite well, so the crew decided to give them some alone time.Hesper sat in the passenger seat and stole a glance at Rickard. She couldn't help but say, "I never expected that the only time you were seen as making a mistake in Grandpa's eyes was because of me.""There are many things you don't know," he replied. Hesper raised an eyebrow and asked, "Like what? Tell me."Suddenly, Hesper recalled the countless times Rickard had looked at her. Yet, during those moments, Rickard had always had feelings for Juniper. She knew that was the reality, so she never expected that Rickard might have had the same strong feelings for her as she had for h
Hesper glanced at Rickard, who remained emotionless, but she still reached out to hold his hand.[This is tough to see. Both of Rickard's parents are no longer here… Sigh.][Hesper immediately checked on Rickard. If I were Rickard, I'd love her so much.]Ernest shook his head and remained silent as he flipped to the next page. Most of the pictures were of Hesper after that. She hadn't realized she had so many childhood photos. Julian appeared in some of them, too.Before everything went sour.Rickard didn't have many pictures. As he grew older, he became quieter.Most of them showed Hesper standing next to Julian, but there was something off about them.[Did you notice... In many of those pictures, Hesper was looking at Rickard, and in others, Rickard was looking at her.][Oh my god, is this puppy love? I had no idea!][I remember Rickard had another lover.]Hesper had noticed, too, but there was no need to remind people that Rickard used to hate her, so she dismissed it as a
Hesper and Rickard entered the room and awkwardly informed Ernest that everything had been live-streamed just now. Ernest was shocked, but upon hearing that it was something people do, he nodded."It's fine. There's nothing that others can't hear."Hesper pursed her lips and glanced at Rickard before saying, "We didn't expect the Summers to come and see you. You should move in with us so these people will leave you alone."If Ernest lived with them, no one would dare intrude because they represented power and influence.Who would dare challenge them?"I don't want to get involved in your life. Renfew and Renarie would keep you occupied enough."Hesper understood that he had already made up his mind not to live with them, so she didn't press the matter further.She could understand his concerns, as many things might become inconvenient. Besides, Ernest didn't want to disrupt their lives either."We'll be heading to Fredonia soon, so even though we have filming to do, we wanted t
So what if the cameras were still recording?"Was my son's life not as valuable as your son's?"If he had grasped this earlier, recent events might not have unfolded. Jade had a point.The live chat fell silent. Though they lacked the full backstory, they could deduce what had transpired in the past.[I heard Rickard lost his parents when he was a child. I feel sorry for him.][His parents died because of that incident. It's no surprise if he harbors resentment.][Truthfully, this old man has no shame. If my child were responsible for another child's death, I'd beg for forgiveness.]Everything unfolding before their eyes was purely coincidental, and no one had control over the situation. They could only watch and terminate the livestream immediately if anything escalated.Fortunately, Jade received a stern talking-to and refrained from discussing the matter further, but Mrs. Summers did not fare as well. Hesper and the others bore witness to her irrational behavior.[This is e
"We've known each other for years, Ernest. I saved your life once, and now your descendants want to take my son's life!"As they approached, Jade Summers was angrily berating Ernest before him. Hesper's countenance immediately turned frosty as she walked over to Ernest."You should conduct yourself more appropriately, Mr. Summers Sr."Jade was taken aback to see Hesper, but he composed himself, took a deep breath, and fixed her with a hatred-filled gaze."If it weren't for you, none of this would have happened. You're just a woman. Since when do you get a say in the Duval family matters?"In the 21st century, people were all for equality. Besides, Hesper was no ordinary or unintelligent woman. Naturally, she had a voice in these matters.The viewers were inundated with comments when they heard Jade's words, and the live chat exploded.[Who is this guy? He looks old but lacks respect.][What's the argument about?][I sense some drama.]Rickard walked over. Jade had thought he
[Didn't Hesper mention that Mr. Duval Sr. took care of her? Maybe she did grow up well.][I'm certain she did. Hesper doesn't strike me as someone who would tolerate mistreatment.]Hesper and Rickard were under constant surveillance throughout the journey, and they hadn't allowed Benji to accompany them. Rickard was behind the wheel, with Hesper in the passenger seat.During the drive, they remained silent, but to observers, it appeared as though they were in harmony.Upon arriving at the ancestral mansion, Hesper noticed other cars parked around and cast a curious glance at Rickard. Visitors to Ernest's home were a rarity."Sir, Ma'am, you're back," a young housekeeper greeted them. It was the same person who had assisted Wendy earlier, but they couldn't recall her name. Nevertheless, Hesper had faith in her.Noticing the housekeeper's troubled demeanor, Hesper deduced that the guest inside was likely unwelcome. However, she couldn't fathom who would disrupt Ernest's life. Given
Rickard noticed something in Hesper's expression, prompting him to ask, "Is there something else you haven't told me?"Being intimately familiar with each other wasn't always without its challenges. Hesper could never conceal anything from him.She sighed and replied, "It's nothing. Just that Pennleigh will also be on the list."Rickard fell silent.Hesper was aware that sometimes Rickard might not appear bothered, but Pennleigh's presence did bother him.Observing Hesper's awkward expression, Rickard lowered his gaze and suddenly took on a pitiful appearance, like a big dog caught in the rain.Yet, she knew he was merely putting on an act. Still, every time she saw him like that, she couldn't help but miss the Rickard who didn't engage in such playful antics. His character had undergone a change.Hesper found it amusing but didn't quite know how to express it. She sighed and added, "It's a fantastic opportunity. I know you'll let me go, right?"Rickard had no intention of inte
"Sullivan lied to her. He had her parents quietly killed. She found out after she turned her back on you."Benji lowered his gaze. "She was already dead when you came back. It was suicide."The conclusion lacked the weight necessary for such a betrayal. Hesper shut her eyes. The person she had trusted most was Renee. They had shared countless years together.Hesper acknowledged that their bond might not have been a genuine friendship. Renee had abandoned her when given the choice.However, Hesper had faced such situations before.Thankfully, there had been someone who had placed her first in their heart, reassuring her that she wasn't always relegated to being an option. Hesper stood in silence for a while before simply nodding.There was nothing she could do to aid Renee now. Renee had entered and departed alone, leaving no trace behind with Hesper.When the topic was broached, it weighed heavily on her heart. Hesper understood the situation but found herself at a loss for word