"What is it?" Stella asked. "We're leaving tomorrow. Have you applied for permission for your men to leave the country?" "Oh yes, I've already done that. I will talk to Anthony before we leave tomorrow. I'm sure it wouldn't be a problem to line up over on his men's side," Stella said. "I need their photos so that the makeup artists could make the masks. Could you send me their photos?" "Of course, I'll do it later." "Also, we will leave tomorrow morning, so the person impersonating me has to be ready by that time. They will less strict as long as he is there to take my place. We will rest for a while after dinner and leave by midnight. The special makeup will take about six hours. You should get some rest during the day," Bellamy said softly. "You too." Bellamy chuckled. "We would often stay up for a few nights when we go on missions, so you need not worry about me. Alright then, I still have some work here to deal with. I will hang up first. S
"So, you still want me to visit Rebecca's parents after New Years', right?" Bellamy asked straightforwardly. "Jasper is dead, Christian is dead, and the main threat now is Quinn. Him alone is way too dangerous, so you need Rebecca to consolidate your powers. When you're finished with your work in B Country, go and accompany Rebecca." "I hope that Tinley won't make a big deal out of this. Please let her know about this matter," Bellamy said seriously. "I have already talked to her yesterday. She won't do that anymore in the future. How are things on your side? If possible, go and accompany her earlier today," Samuel advised. "Sure," Bellamy nodded. He then continued walking towards the office building. ...... Inside the manor. Stella used her bank account from Switchland Bank to transfer the money over to the soldiers. Suzi had finished setting up the tent too. A few soldiers were busy digging holes in the icy surface. It was 10 a.m. and t
"He is not great at expressing himself. I don't think that he doesn't like your cooking. He probably just doesn't want you to work too hard," Stella said softly. "Oh Stella, you always know the right words to say. I will bring the fish back and clean them so that they will taste better," Suzi said. "Okay, thank you, Mom. Once the baby is born, I will definitely cook more and repay your kindness." Suzi smiled dotingly. "Whenever I see you, I regret not having a daughter. You are extremely considerate and thoughtful." Stella put her arm around Suzi's shoulders. "But Mom, I am your daughter." "Yes, yes, you're my daughter. Have your lunch before it gets cold and don't tire yourself too much. Take a nap if you're feeling exhausted. I've laid several blankets down in the tent, it should be warm," Suzi said as she looked at the tent. "Thank you, Mom. You are one of the most thoughtful people I know in this world. I really appreciate it," Stella praised. Sh
"What secret?" Stella asked. "I will tell you only after you accept the case," Zoah negotiated. "What if I am not interested in your secret?" Stella was rational. "It's about Jasper," Zoah gave her a hint. Stella's lips twitched. If it was about Jasper, she could just ask the person in question all about it. Seeing that Stella did not speak, Zoah continued and said, "I trust your skills more than anyone else's. I hope that you could solve the case as soon as possible, otherwise, I will not be able to celebrate New Years' peacefully." "I'm sorry but I won't do it. I am not interested in Jasper's secrets. Besides, I had my own conflicts with Christian, so it will not be suitable for me to investigate it. I am pregnant now, so I need to keep my emotions in check. I hope you understand," Stella said politely. Zoah was getting anxious. It seemed that Stella was inconvincible. "If you find the real murderer within three days, I will tell you whatever
"Mom, you cooked so much by yourself!" Stella exclaimed and said, "You must have been working nonstop since you sent lunch over to me." "This is a special day and I am happy to be busy too. Actually, it's not that hard to make all these. The cold appetizers aren't difficult to make. There are 68 Dark Shadow members in total, right?" Suzi asked. "Yes, they are the elite soldiers from the Special Forces and Anthony used to take care of them personally. He became the next Chief of the Special Forces after Jasper left the military base. Everyone from the Dark Shadow followed Jasper and left the military base together at that time," Stella said as she cut the cherry tomatoes that had been soaked in the water. "What? All of them?" Suzi had never been interested in military affairs, so she did not know much about it. "They all left around that time. However, Anthony is his good friend and he needs many men when he became the new Chief. Therefore, a hundred Dark Shadow
Sixty-five soldiers stood before them in five rows. There were twelve soldiers in each row and four captains who stood next to their team. Elvis first saluted to Stella and reported respectfully, "Good evening, Mrs. Milton! There are 68 members of the Dark Shadow here, of which three are still on duty. Awaiting your instructions, Mrs. Milton!" Stella looked at their faces, and her eyes turned red. It would be great if Jasper was here right now. Then, she would not have any more regrets. She missed Jasper so much. "Have a seat and break a leg. Thank you all for protecting me all this while, I appreciate your hard work," Stella was touched as she said it. They said in unison, "It's not hard work, it is our job." Stella smiled and said softly, "Let's sit." Elvis shouted, "Sit." The leader of the first row shouted and sat on the first table with his twelve men. Every one of them straightened their chests and placed their hands on their knees.
After all, women were known to be emotional beings. They would always hope that their husbands would stay by their side and spend time with them, especially after having given birth to a child. He didn't even have to do anything, just having him by her side would be more than enough. Stella then said, "You may request leave if anyone of you has family affairs to deal with. You are allowed to have up to three months of paternity leave too. Remember to spend some time with your wife at home." "Mrs. Milton, you are too kind. I want to work with you for the rest of my life," another soldier said. When Elvis and the captains were serving the dishes, they heard someone muttering, "Hey, you should focus on eating. Leave the flattering to me." The soldiers all burst into laughter. It was a lively scene. "Stella, come here for a moment," Suzi asked Stella to come over. "Alright," Stella walked into the kitchen. "There are too many people on one ta
"Did you dream of me just now too?" Bellamy was surprised. All of a sudden, he thought of something. When Jasper was with her, he would dream of the scenes of them being together. Now that he was the one with Stella, would that mean that Jasper would dream of them being together? "I dreamed that you were going to jump into the ocean. I was scared that you would leave me, so I shouted your name and called for you desperately. You seemed to have heard me, because you turned to look at me. It felt as though you were standing next to me by the bedside. I don't know if it's a dream or if it's reality, but I know that I feel scared whenever I dream of you," Stella choked with sobs as she said it. When she opened her eyes, they were already red. Bellamy held her hands tightly and said, "I won't leave. Dreams are different from reality." "You always say that," Stella said in a slightly angry tone. "That is why I am here all the time," Bellamy stopped the car and l