The brothers chatted for a while. However, Marlin remained silent and looked troubled, which was unusual for him.Seeing this, Mobius pinched Marlin's cheek. "What's bothering you?"Marlin said, "I overheard Uncle Johann. He mentioned someone might be after Abigail. We can't let her head home by herself."Mobius said, "Uncle Johann has so many bodyguards for Abigail; nobody could get close."Marlin responded, "But she came here in our car, and we didn't tell the bodyguards when she left. What if they don't know she's gone?"Mobius's eyes widened in concern. "Quick, let the bodyguards know Abigail left. They have to be on their toes."Abigail sat in the back seat of Paxton's car as he drove. She asked, "Weren't you supposed to go to Pleasia with Mr. Zane?"Paxton replied, "Well, I'm with you now, right?"She continued, "Okay, but is your younger brother Samuel with Mr. Zane in Pleasia? Do you know where he is?"In Chrysalis, it was past noon, which meant it was early morning in
Abigail's voice was soft, tinged with hurt. There was a pause before Xander finally said, "Yeah."To Abigail, he seemed almost dismissive. However, Xander's voice softened as he admitted, "I really do miss you."Abigail brightened, responding with a teasing smile. "I miss you even more. Like, two times more," she emphasized, playfully making her point clear.With a hint of amusement, Xander replied, "I get it."Abigail whispered back, "I want to hear more than just that."Xander chuckled. "Okay, I hear you."Abigail said, "Over there, don't skip meals because of work, like you used to. I've heard it's cold, and you hate the cold. Make sure you're dressed warmly." Suddenly, she heard Xander coughing. Concerned, she quickly asked, "Have you caught a cold? Is Dr. Watson with you? I'd like to talk to him."Soon after, Abigail heard Kane's voice. "Abigail, you're right. Xander didn't dress warmly, and he's never good about bundling up. He had a fever of 102.2°F this morning, and it h
Xander shook his head. Kane said, "Abigail is your wife. She deserves to know the truth. Why wear yourself down keeping secrets?"Meeting Kane's eyes with a chilling stare, Xander replied, "Tell her, and I'll cut out your tongue."Even while bedridden, Xander's presence was so commanding it made Kane uneasy. He had this gut feeling that if he angered Xander, the latter might just leap from the bed to confront him. To ease the tension, Kane said, "I won't tell Abigail anything. But don't forget our agreement."Without a word, Xander slowly closed his eyes."Hey, Xander, keep your end of the bargain," Kane said.After a pause, Xander spoke up, his voice a soft whisper, "I promised to cooperate with the doctors, regardless of the challenges. Each day is another chance to be with Abigail." Before, he was not afraid of death, having nothing to lose. But now, he feared leaving Abigail, not fulfilling his promise to grow old with her. His greatest dread was picturing her heartbreak and g
Xander expected that from Gavin and his partner. "Tell me more."Sila said, "A maid found this footage years ago. She considered going to the police but was scared of Gavin's backlash, especially if there wasn't enough evidence against him. So, she made a secret copy, quit working for the Guzman family, and hid away, aiming to reveal Gavin's actions in the future."Xander asked, "Did you check her background?"Sila nodded. "She isn't linked to Gavin." He noticed Xander's tight grip on the documents. "Mr. Zane, this footage is a copy and needs validation. Rumors have circled about Gavin being behind several deaths, but they've never been confirmed. He might have influential allies protecting him. I held back on verifying the footage because I was worried about how they'd react."Xander said, "I'll contact someone, and you'll give him the documents. He'll have them verified by a top agency."Sila nodded. "Understood.""Once the documents are confirmed authentic, hand them over to t
After their conversation, Xander waved his hand, indicating Sila could leave. "Get on with your tasks," he said."Understood," Sila replied and left.Kane let out a sigh. But before Xander could relax, his phone rang. Kane asked, "Can you shut your phone off, Xander? You need to focus on getting better."Xander picked up the call without responding to Kane's suggestion. Although he could not hear the person on the other end, Kane caught what Xander said. "Yes, she needs to quickly get familiar with her tasks. I'll give new instructions when I return." After speaking, he hung up.Kane asked, "Can you rest now?"Xander replied, "Has the person you contacted gotten here?"Kane said, "People are all over the world. Even with the quickest flights, it'll take two or three days for everyone to get here."Xander nodded. "What I really want to know is, can you cure me?""I..." Kane, a renowned physician, was not sure he could treat Xander. The night before, they had taken Xander to the
Abigail and Paxton were driving back to Johann's mansion. As they entered Valtara, Paxton said with urgency, "We've got a car behind us that doesn't look friendly."She checked the rearview mirror and saw an unfamiliar car. She had seen some of Johann's cars earlier that day, and this was not one of them. "Could that be one of Ron's people?"Paxton pressed the gas, looking worried. "Ron has been a mess since Emma died. He's convinced you're to blame and he's furious. Even knowing how strong the Blau family is, he might still go after you. Valtara is basically his territory. With just the two of us, it's going to be hard to stand up to him. Can you call Johann for backup? I'll do everything I can to protect us until help arrives.""I'm calling Johann now," Abigail said. She did not want him to worry, but if he had backup nearby, it was smart to ask for help.Hearing the situation, Johann became both frustrated and concerned. "I set up a lot of protection for you. Where are they now?
A crash at high speed would be awful. Abigail felt fear but told herself, 'Be brave.'Johann sounded worried on the phone. "Abigail! Make it louder, I want to talk to Ron.""I got this, Grandpa," Abigail said, hanging up. Spotting Ron stepping out of the car nearby and with no sign of Johann's backup, she knew she was their best chance. "Paxton, stay put. I'll talk to him."Paxton shook his head. "It's too risky with Ron. He's unpredictable."Abigail smiled calmly. "Being in this car doesn't make us bulletproof."Paxton countered, "His group is small. I can take them on. And if it gets dicey, I'll fend them off until Johann's help arrives."Abigail reassured, "Ron has no beef with you. You'll be safe in the car. I'll handle the talking."Paxton's expression hardened. "I don't like this."Abigail said, "Remember when Xander paired us up? He said you'd back my decisions. I need you to trust me now and stay put."Ignoring Abigail's words, Paxton reached for the car door. But befo
Ron yanked Abigail's hair, but she held back her cry. "What are you up to, Ron?"Ron smirked. "You're close to Xander. Shouldn't you know his moves better than anyone?"Suddenly, Paxton appeared outside the car, gun aimed right at Ron. "Release her, Ron," he commanded, "or you're done for."Ron laughed. "You think you can handle me by yourself?"When he gave the signal, several men from the other cars stepped forward, guns aimed at Abigail. With over ten of them, even a single mistake could be fatal for her. Flashing a menacing smile, Ron challenged, "Go ahead, shoot! But if you do, they'll fire at her in an instant."Feeling trapped and outnumbered, Paxton's anger surged. He ached to take a shot at Ron, but Abigail's safety was paramount. Xander had trusted him with her safety, and he was determined not to let him down.Despite Ron's harsh grip on her hair, Abigail remained calm. She instructed Paxton, "Get back in the car and stay there until I say otherwise." When Paxton staye
Emma turned and dashed into the bathroom. She cranked the faucet on and splashed water on her face, aiming to soothe her nerves.Although they were engaged, they were still too young, with countless uncertainties looming over their future. The possibility of actually walking down the aisle was up in the air.Decisions made in a rush of happiness could eventually become sources of regret. And Emma knew all too well that she couldn't afford any regrets.She thought that fortunately, Ron hadn't pushed things further, which gave her time to cool off.After freshening up, Emma stepped out to find Ron on the balcony, a cigarette in hand.She couldn't resist chiding him, "I've told you to cut down on smoking. Why can't you seem to remember?"This time, Ron complied, snuffing out the cigarette. "We should get some sleep. We've got to put our best foot forward when we meet your family tomorrow.""Okay, I'll sleep on the couch. You take the bed," Emma responded.Ron simply replied, "As y
Ron looked at her dawdling pace with disdain. "If you, a lady, can handle it, why can't I, a grown man, stay?"His words sounded noble, but Ron regretted them the moment they arrived at the hotel.Despite now earning a decent income, Emma was still reluctant to spend money.This place was hardly a hotel; it was clearly a budget inn charging only a few dozen bucks a night. The hygiene was questionable at best, and safety seemed like a gamble.Ron turned on his heel, dragging her suitcase behind him. "We're leaving, now.""It's too late, and we can't get a refund for the room.""Are you trying to get us killed?"Emma fell silent, her thoughts a whirlwind of frustration. 'I told him he wouldn't be used to cheap places. He insisted on coming with me, and now he won't even let me stay here alone. Why is he so annoying?'However, considering Ron had rushed over in the middle of the night to help her, Emma decided not to hold it against him.Ron picked the best hotel in the area—the
Rebekah glanced over at Ron; she exchanged a knowing look with him before saying, "I'll have someone tidy up the rooms. Why don't you two stay here tonight and keep me company?"Ron replied simply, "Sure."Emma had purchased a midnight flight back to South Florivera, necessitating a rush to the airport, which made staying over after dinner impossible.Yet, she found herself at a loss for words, struggling to decline Rebekah's kind offer.As she hesitated, Ron stepped in to clear the air. "Mom, I've got something on tonight. After dinner, I'll drive Emma back to her dorm."Rebekah raised an eyebrow. "What's so important?" she wondered aloud, thinking, 'Wasn't he the one insisting Emma stay over? What's he up to now?'Ron kept it mysterious. "Life stuff."Rebekah could not help but chide him lightly, "You, always the joker."Right after dinner, Ron insisted on leaving to take Emma back to her dormitory. But as soon as they were out of the gated community, he asked, "So, you reall
Ron chuckled. "I didn't know you were aware that even a cornered rat will fight."Emma shot him a glare. "Are we going or not?"Ron quickly said, "Of course. When Miss Blue commands, how can I dare not obey?"Fearing another of his notorious driving escapades, Emma hastily buckled her seatbelt as she settled into the car.Thankfully, this time Ron kept it smooth, driving steadily.As they neared their destination, Ron finally spoke up, "You know, that Tucker guy is a married man. Don't let his kindness fool you into being the other woman."Emma's gaze on Ron was fiery, seething with anger. "Do you even hear yourself? Is that what you think of me? For the last time: Tucker and I share nothing more than a mentor-mentee relationship. There's nothing else between us.""I'm just looking out for you, worried you might get deceived," Ron said, witnessing Emma's fury for the first time. Yet, he could not help but find her anger not at all intimidating, but rather endearingly foolish.R
The two sisters had a pact: no cell phones at home to keep their secrets from the prying eyes of the Blue family. Thus, Emma could call only at prearranged times, the sole window for Rihanna to catch up.Rihanna's voice bubbled with excitement over the phone, as she chattered away about her life's minutiae.Knowing Rihanna was doing well eased Emma's mind.Just as Emma was about to end the call, she heard Rihanna's voice, soft and wistful. "You're really not coming home for the holidays? If you don't, I'll be all alone."Emma's heart clenched at those words, and she made up her mind in an instant. "I'll come back the day before New Year's Eve."The Blue family had their hands full with festivities that day, too busy to notice Rihanna's absence. Emma figured slipping back unnoticed then would be her best shot.After hanging up, Emma immediately booked a flight from Valtara to South Florivera. With her ticket secured and her last bit of work finished, Emma prepared to leave her off
Emma had no interest in romance, let alone the audacity to dream that Ron might fancy her.This time, she did not pick up the thread of conversation.After dinner, Ron, as usual, drove Emma back to the university.Before parting, Ron said, "Winter break is almost upon us, and the dorms might be off-limits. Are you sure you don't want to stay at my place for a couple of months?"Emma offered a smile in response. "Thanks for the offer. I've spoken with the dorm supervisor and submitted an application in advance. I'll be able to stay over the holiday period."Ron paused before saying, "Well, if you need anything, just let me know. I'll text you my number in a bit; make sure you save it."Emma nodded. "Sure."Without further ado, Ron drove off.Upon returning to her dorm, Emma saw Evelyn and Cassie, busy packing their bags, surrounded by gifts for their parents bought from Valtara.Evelyn asked Emma, "Are you really not going home for the winter break?"Emma replied, "No, I won't
Emma did not have the guts to risk failure because she did not have a safe haven to fall back on.Lucas kicked Ron in the shin. "Come on, if you fancy her, out with it. No Hagrid heir dithers like this."Ron glared at him. "Mind your own business." In his head, Emma was already his. The thought of losing her was unimaginable.Lucas said, "Without my meddling, she'd never be yours."Ron changed the subject. "I called you here for a serious discussion."Lucas replied, "No matter how serious, it can't outweigh the matter of your lifetime happiness."Ron was exasperated. "Lucas!"Lucas relented. "Alright, alright, you talk, I'm all ears."Ron spelled out Emma's music venture with Tucker. After hearing it all, Lucas could not help but see Emma in a new light."Never pegged Emma as such a dark horse," Lucas said.Silently listening to their conversation, Emma was thrilled to have her work recognized.Lucas said, "But, getting back to it, whether a song makes money, and how much, d
Ron barked, "Lucas!"With a chuckle, Lucas responded, "Alright, alright, I'll stop teasing Emma. I'm starving. Let's grab some food and talk business while we eat."Ron snapped, "Get lost!"Lucas could not help but revel in Ron's frustration. "Ron, have you fallen so quickly? Who was it that told me they would never accept an arranged marriage?"Emma was increasingly confused by their banter. "If it's inconvenient for me to be here, I can just take a cab and leave."Ron said, "Call you dumb and you won't admit it!"Emma thought to herself, 'I didn't want to be a third wheel, cramping their style. Was that really so wrong? No good deed goes unpunished, apparently.'Suddenly, Ron grabbed Emma's hand and led her inside. "It's cold out; let's go inside."Emma had to quicken her pace, practically being dragged along.Seeing them together, Lucas laughed heartily from behind. "Ron, oh Ron, never thought I'd see the day.""Don't laugh too soon. Your day is coming," Ron shot back.Th
Emma said, "Okay."Ron asked, "Have you won over your crush?"Lucas responded, "Secret."Ron replied, "Looks like you haven't won her over."Lucas said, "As long as I make a move, there's no girl I can't win over. But I haven't made a move yet because the timing isn't right."Ron asked, "Is it because of the Sandow family?"Lucas answered, "The Sandow family wants to marry their daughter to me, and my family wants me to marry her too. But I've told them long ago that I'm not willing to do that. Nobody can make me marry a girl I don't like."Emma remained silent. 'I didn't expect that Lucas would also have the same problem as me and Ron.'It seems like the wealthier the family, the more they'll arrange marriages based on social status without considering personal preferences.'Lucas seemed to sense Emma's thoughts. "Emma, my situation with the Sandow girl is different from yours and Ron's. Don't lump us together."Ron looked at Emma and suddenly said, "There isn't any other gi