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
“Soka.” Mona felt somewhat embarrassed. She walked over, looked at the two bags he was holding, and asked, “What do you have in your hands?” “These are small gifts for your children. The moms and aunts in our village got up early and made some specialties for them as snacks.” “Thank you.” Mona accepted the gift and turned to happily give them to Thaddeus. She said, “Keep these thoughtful gifts well.” The man named Soka snickered. Thaddeus was like a lackey in front of Mona. Thaddeus placed the handful of things on the bed with a dark face. He stood next to Mona and pulled her into his arms to emphasize his dignity and sovereignty as a man. Mona smiled at Soka, seemingly helpless about Thaddeus. However, she leaned into Thaddeus’ arms and smiled sweetly like a little woman. “Tsk, tsk. Are you showing off this early in the morning?” Soka shook his head. “Forget it. I’d better go boxing. I can’t stand seeing you two deep in love—it stings my eyes!” “Hey, Soka.” Mona suddenly
Mona vaguely remembered Thaddeus’ assistant coming over and telling him that Ginny would pick them up from the private airport. As soon as they returned to this city, Mona’s troubles surfaced again. Ginny was a thorn in her heart at the moment. She felt insecure because Thaddeus was hiding something from her but could not give her a reason. “Yes. While you were asleep, my assistant told me that Ginny arranged a car to pick us up. She’s probably waiting down there right now.” Thaddeus spoke carelessly, but he looked at Mona and secretly observed her reaction. Mona gave a slight exclamation and pretended to be calm. Thaddeus said that Ginny was there to pick them up, so what else could Mona say? She could not blame her for being thoughtful and considerate, could she? It would accentuate her lack of generosity. Nevertheless, she let go of Thaddeus’ arm and drew distance from him. She turned to look at the dark night scene outside the window, her dissatisfaction clearly reflect