It was already 9 p.m. when they returned from Mrs. Greene’s house. There was a couple holding a wedding on the hotel beach. Champagne and red roses painted a romantic scene across the whole hotel. Millie took a fancy to the pink flamingo balloons and clamored over to watch the fun.“Are you tired?” Thaddeus first sought Mona’s opinion. He took her slender and soft waist in one hand and asked gently.“I’m fine, but I ate too much tonight. Taking a walk is a good way to lose weight.” Mona smiled gently and snuggled up to Thaddeus’ shoulder like a kitten.“Then let’s go join the fun.” Thaddeus’s heart melted when he looked at the docile woman beside him.If only she would stick to him like this all the time. However, this little kitty was sometimes disobedient and had to stretch out her claws to scratch people every now and then.Bobby and Millie walked in front, skipping toward the beach. Millie was very happy tonight and ran against the wind. She was obviously in the lead but shout
"Okay. I'll prepare myself mentally.""Good. I gave you the party you wanted. Do you want to head to the dance floor and dance together?"Thaddeus held his hand to Mona, who placed her hand in his palm. She curtsied slightly, and together, they walked to the center of the dance floor.The crowd intuitively moved aside and automatically made a path for the two.When the music started, Mona's hand rested on Thaddeus' shoulder as Thaddeus' hand held her waist. He took the lead and danced with her.Bobby and Millie also joined in on the fun, having learned from their parents and paired up for a dance. They learned to dance in etiquette class, so they were familiar with it.The atmosphere was very pleasant. Mona danced happily as Thaddeus took care of her rhythm so she did not get tired. She danced the way she liked, casually and freely.At the end of the dance, she leaned forward slightly and brought her lips to Thaddeus' ear, whispering, "Thaddeus, don't be sad if you can't see me.
The staff's shout attracted everyone's attention. The man socializing in the crowd dropped the glass in his hand, causing it to shatter on the ground. He ran to the seaside but stumbled and fell. Glass fragments stuck to the palm of his hand, tearing skin open and dripping blood.Thaddeus seemed to have fallen into an ice cave, into the abyss of the sea...Within half an hour, the best search and rescue team in the country was assembled on the beach of the hotel. Several search and rescue vessels combed the sea along with motorboats.The whole night, Thaddeus drove a boat in the sea searching desperately. His body was slapped around by the cold seawater, and his hands were freezing. By dawn, he was so tired that he could hardly move. He contemplated if it would be better to just jump into the sea. All he had to do was loosen his grip on the steering wheel of the yacht, and he would be able to wander aimlessly in this dead sea where there was no spark of life.With a harsh wave, the
Anna took a tranquilizer and looked back at the vast sea in the distance. Hopefully, everything would go smoothly… At this time, she looked at a lonely figure on the shore. Thaddeus had been looking crazily for Mona at sea the entire night. If not because Anna promised Mona, she would have told Thaddeus the truth. Nonetheless, the plan might fall short if she revealed it now. Anna turned around and headed toward her hotel room. Everyone—Sophie, Marco, Polo, and the two kids kept in the dark and clamoring to see their mom—was shrouded in sadness. The oppressive atmosphere made it hard for Anna to breathe. When Sophie saw her, she pulled her into the bedroom. “What’s going on? Has she been found?” Anna comforted Sophie, “Not yet, but don’t worry. A miracle will happen for sure.” Sophie looked dubiously at Anna. She did not know where Anna got her confidence and optimism from. Thaddeus had called the top search and rescue team, and even the ships that usually operated in the oce
“The murderer? Who is it?” “Who is it?!” Anna and Thaddeus asked one after the other. “It’s Stella, the most suspected writer. If it had not been for the incident last night when Mrs. Fontaine fell into the sea, we wouldn’t have been able to solve the case so quickly. We’ve arrested Stella and are in the process of interrogating her.” Anna clenched her hand into a fist and waved it. “I knew it—what a pest!” “Though, there are still some suspicious points regarding the case of Mrs. Fontaine jumping into the sea last night. We need your cooperation again and take your statement.” “Okay. Please come to my room, and we’ll talk in detail.” Anna led the few officers into the room. Since Stella was confirmed to be the murderer, Mona must be safe. While it was exciting news, Thaddeus was still worried about Mona. The ring was located deep in the mountain, but that did not mean she was there. Perhaps a wild animal took the ring away. In short, he would not be at ease until he sa
This mountain was formerly inhabited by Aboriginals. Some of them were accustomed to living on the mountain, hence they kept their initial living environment and habits. However, most of those who stayed up here were elders who did not speak English and were very hostile to outsiders. Understanding the background, Thaddeus became more nervous. Even so, he did not stop walking. Finally, he reached the top of the mountain before dark panting from exhaustion. He looked at the dangerous winding path below him and thought of the several small landslides he encountered on the way up. He was lucky to not have been buried here. ‘Please, god, keep up my good luck so that I can find my beloved wife and go home together.’ Thaddeus rested his feet for a while and continued deeper. There was a dense forest ahead, and further inside was where the Aboriginals lived. He took out a flashlight from his backpack and flipped the switch. After struggling forward in the faint light, he finally found
“Given that I rescued her from the sea and brought her here, we have an unordinary relationship,” the man answered. Thaddeus was uncomfortable hearing that. “Unordinary?” “It’s the kind of relationship where I can put my life on the line to make sure she’s safe and sound.” The man took out a semi-circular badge from his pocket. Thaddeus narrowed his eyes and looked at it, feeling it looked familiar. “This was given to Mona by Master Fontaine. Seeing this badge is the same as being given an order. Since Mona has it, we must listen to her orders. We won’t hesitate even if we have to protect her with our lives.” Thaddeus studied the badge. He had found it in his grandpa’s treasure chest when he was young. At that time, he was puzzled because the badge did not look like it belonged to an army. It turned out that it was used to command the bandit army on this mountain. He snorted and looked up at the man as he asked, “Is this all there is to your team?” The man who was ridiculed
“You’re not allowed to do something like this without my permission again. I won’t allow you to put yourself in such a dangerous situation. Do you understand?” Thaddeus said to Mona. He pulled her into his arms and kept repeating that phrase in his heart, but he would never say it out loud. Thaddeus could not bear the pain of losing Mona. If she was gone, he would make arrangements for their children’s future and die with her. Mona rested her chin on Thaddeus’ shoulder, and the two held each other close. Something felt different about him. “Thaddeus, what’s wrong…?” She lifted her hand and touched the back of Thaddeus’ head. “What do you mean?” Thaddeus’ voice was muffled. Suddenly feeling as if something was wrong, Mona pushed his shoulders away to look and was shocked. Thaddeus’ eyes were red with tears. He was as vulnerable and sensitive as a big boy. Mona did not think that he was in a sorry state. Instead, she could feel the love and concern he had for her. The fac