Tom was elated. "Yeah! Jack said that he'd bring helpers, and he wanted meals instead of money. The boss, Mr. Gibson, agreed right away."We ate a lot of food in the kitchen, and it was delicious! I even took some food with me when I left."Olivia finally understood why the newbies managed to succeed.They were just lucky.Marcus Gibson probably didn't expect anyone to be this bold. How could someone cause problems on the cruise or kidnap Connor?Ethan and the rest probably never thought that the bodyguard position was by name only. So, this group easily achieved what they aimed for.It was quite a funny coincidence."So you're doing this for money. Where's the kid?""My grandma is taking care of him. He drinks a lot, and he almost finished all the milk we milked from Buttercup," Jerry complained.While Olivia was questioning the two, Jack had been standing at the side and staring silently at her."Are you done with the questions?" Jack asked in a low voice.Olivia was about
"Deal."At first, Olivia felt that Jack was too quick to agree. But when she opened the door to look for Connor, she was stunned by the view before her.The scenery was beautiful. She could see the azure sky, the pretty blue ocean, and the green mountains.They were on an island surrounded by the sea. It felt like they had been abandoned by the rest of the world.This was why he didn't have to threaten her at all. There wasn't any signal here, and no one would hear her even if she shouted.As long as they didn't have the intention to harm Connor, Olivia would never dream of risking anything.As soon as Olivia opened the wooden door, she saw Connor on the ground, trying to chase a kitten.The clothes on his back were covered in dirt, but he looked extra happy as he giggled.He kept mumbling the word "kitty.""This kid doesn't behave like a rich baby at all. He's a good kid. I like him."While Jack was speaking, Olivia was already running toward Connor. Connor also stretched ou
Olivia tried her best to put on a smile. "That's fine."Connor looked like a different person now. He had changed out of branded clothes and into the clothes that belonged to Martha's children.Olivia wondered how many children had worn the same clothes. There were even patches sewn on older patches.The clothes were thicker, firmer, and also warmer.Connor didn't seem to mind, though. He followed behind Olivia like a little puppy.Sometimes, he would curiously try to chase after cats or pull at the grass by the roadside. Everything here was new to him.Olivia had followed him onto the boat with the resolve that she might lose her life. Hence, she quickly got used to the island.It wasn't as advanced as the city, but it was much cleaner.As Olivia held Connor in her arms, enjoying the breeze, she suddenly had the urge to just live here.But she knew very well that it would be a matter of time before they were found, even if the island wasn't marked on the map.One day, Ethan'
Looking at the large piece of meat on her plate, Olivia didn't know what to say.Tom and Jerry were still growing up. They praised Martha's cooking as they enjoyed the meal.Seeing that Olivia wasn't eating, Jack explained, "We only have limited food on the island. Just put up with it."Tom bit his lip. He didn't want to, but still, he picked up the meat from his plate. Then, he placed it on Olivia's plate."Ms. Olivia, you're too pale. Please eat more."Seeing the meat piling on her plate, Olivia felt her heart breaking even more.When one was lacking love, even a tiny bit of kindness could light up their whole world."Sorry, I'm not hungry yet. You guys should continue."Olivia left with Connor in her arms. The island in winter looked even lonelier under the moonlight.Not long after, someone sat down next to her. It was none other than the quiet Jack."You won't find any food if you get hungry later.""Yeah, I know. I'm not hungry."The man produced a small piece of mous
Jack looked at Olivia in confusion. Olivia didn't look back at him. Staring into the distance, she continued, "To be honest, I didn't mean it at first when I said I wanted to help you guys."As soon as you get involved with that person, you can never get away in one piece."The moment you get the ransom, you'll fall into his trap. When that happens, not just you three, but everyone on the island will be in trouble."When Jack heard that, he subconsciously touched the claw blade he hid at the side. Ignoring it, Olivia continued, "But that was until I saw the truth. You guys live in poverty, but your hearts have remained cheerful."The old people in this village don't even have enough money to treat their sicknesses. A lot of them died because of that."Jerry wants to learn to draw, but he can't even bring himself to use a precious pencil. Martha cut her softest clothes into a diaper for a child she doesn't know."I think I can understand you a little. You're probably not from ar
Olivia didn't know what Jack was trying to do. She watched as he picked up the flashlight, which shone weakly.The dim light swayed along with Jack's steps, but it managed to light up the space in front of her.Jack led Olivia to the kitchen. Putting on an apron, he swiftly prepared the ingredients. He soaked the leftover bread in an egg mixture, then placed it on the pan while adding some bacon and peas.Olivia watched the man's tall figure under the dim flashlight. He whipped up the dish in an instant.The leaping flames licked at the bottom of the pan. The fire reflected off Jack's metal mask, reminding Olivia of Ethan from the past.No matter how late it was, Ethan would get up and cook something for her when she got hungry.Soon, some delicious eggy bread was served. Jack even plated it nicely for her."Eat. No matter how much time you have left, I hope that it'll be even longer than expected."Holding back tears, Olivia lowered her head and ate the eggy bread.The kind
Jack also bought a new set of clothes for Connor.Overjoyed, the children kept shouting, "It's the new year! It's the new year!"Olivia never thought that she would be counting down to the new year on a special island. She didn't expect to spend the occasion with a group of strangers either.She even had Connor in her arms.After the celebratory dinner, the children gathered for fireworks at sunset. They even stuffed a sparkler or two in Connor's hands.Olivia took many photos of Connor today. Her phone ran out of battery a long time ago.Fortunately, Jack bought a charger for her. After connecting the charger to the solar panels, Olivia managed to charge her phone.As soon as Olivia snapped a photo, a smile appeared on her face.At that moment, she forgot about the suffering she endured when Ethan locked her up. She just wanted to be wild and free for once."Ms. Olivia, come and set off the fireworks with us.""Sure."Whistling, the fireworks shot into the sky and exploded.
At first, Ethan also thought that it was most probably some bold kidnappers. As days passed, he got less confident about his guess. He feared that it might be his enemies.He was worried that a box containing their bodies or body parts would show up on his doorstep one day.The current situation was like casting a stone into water. There was no reaction, and no one knew what was happening in the water.Ethan's patience and wits, which he took pride in, began to crumble as time passed.He didn't dare fall asleep. Once he did, the bloody scenes he experienced before would have Olivia and Connor in them.On the seventh day, Ethan finally collapsed. He hadn't eaten or drunk anything in days, and he didn't even sleep.He watched the surveillance footage time and again, so much so that his eyes were bloodshot. The men he sent out never brought back any useful info either.On the second day of the new year, Brent found Ethan lying unconscious in the bathroom. He hastily called over the
Warren's pale face showed a hint of pleading. "Olivia, we've gotten to know each other better in the past two years. Have you ever loved me?"Hatred was evident in Olivia's cold eyes. "Never. I pray for your death every single second of my life.""I knew it." He smiled at that embittering answer. Karma had always been there. Another sound of a gunshot surprised the birds. A pool of blood splashed over the flowers. Warren stared at the picture on the gravestone. "Mona, I've returned everything that I owe you…"Olivia's gaze alternated between the two bodies. Her heart ached as she began crying. "It's finally over, Mona. Please rest in peace."She had been waiting for this day to come for too long. When the revenge was finally over, she felt hollow on the inside. …Yarrows reached their peak of beauty during the season, dancing along the wind. Willow was chasing after Zack, her bells ringing briskly. He teased, "You can't catch me!"After weaving a garland, Alicia bec
Warren was so blinded by love that he didn't realize that Olivia had spent the last two years setting this up.The moment he saw Olivia nestling in Ethan's arms, he knew that his identity had been exposed since the beginning.It was time to end all of this.Although the Fordham family had won the fight, they sustained heavy casualties. Brandon and Deborah, together with Jacqueline, had hurt and killed countless people. Quinn became a sacrifice, never waking up again despite her young age. Olivia placed a bouquet before Quinn's gravestone. "Rest in peace, Quinn. I'll take good care of the family. Don't worry."The breeze carried a leave before it landed on Olivia's shoulder, as though trying to respond to Olivia.Douglas reunited with the family, and Natalie was finally buried in peace. It was a private funeral, but Mason paid a visit. Mason and Douglas looked at each other. They were both important to Natalie, and they finally met each other after her death. With reddene
"Avery, what happened?" Olivia inquired.She had no clue what was happening and didn't dare to go anywhere close to Louis. The only person who she got close to was Avery."Stay away, Olivia! It's too dangerous!" Avery yelled worriedly. Louis shifted his gaze to Olivia. "My experiment is going to be successful soon. That's Natalie's descendant. She has Natalie's genes in her…"Olivia's eyes widened as she finally realized why Louis had been taking special care of her. Back then, she simply assumed that it was due to her health and talent, but it turned out that he had known her identity all along!The purpose of the human modification project was to resurrect Natalie! The thought of it gave her goosebumps.To think that he had made so many preparations just to resurrect Natalie…Even Olivia was deceived. She took the human modification project at face value; she didn't think much about it! "Let Natalie go, Louis. She's been gone for years. She could be watching us from up
Olivia arrived on the island. She noticed the change in the atmosphere this time around.It was the same old scenery, but the robots that once filled the island to the brim were gone. She expected to encounter some inspection robots upon arrival, but there weren't any.Ships were docking in lines by the seashore, and most of them belonged to private foreigner organizations and mercenaries. People were coming to the island!What happened?Was Louis in danger?Although Louis wished to transform her into a cyborg, she hoped he could live regardless. No matter what field it was, no one would come before an outstanding scientist like him. It would be a huge loss to lose him.Olivia grew worried. "Calm down, Liv. A lot of people came to the island, but I don't think it's a big issue for now," Ethan reminded her.He bet that the ships were loaded with ammunition. Still, the buildings on the island were intact, and nothing seemed to be destroyed. She disagreed, "No, there should
Mason and David had a long discussion by themselves. No one knew what they talked about.But it didn't matter because it was just an extra member joining the Fordham family anyway. That was it.On the other hand, Tatiana was a little worried. If the whole Fordham family were to be added to the family registry, would her children inherit less from the Heath family?Humans were born selfish. When the event actually came to pass, everyone would be thinking about their own benefit. However, the result of the discussion between David and Mason surprised everyone.Even though David wasn't acknowledged as one of the Fordhams, he wasn't planning to change his surname to Heath.He saw himself as a Fordham because his mother married Douglas.Nevertheless, he didn't mind his family being relatives with the Fordham family.Mason was a little disappointed, but he still respected David's decision because he knew how well Douglas treated David's family.Mason asked the Fordham family to sta
Olivia and the others returned to the Fordham family. Everything was going back on track under Avery's management. Sean's leg was recovering well. He could walk like a normal person, and he didn't have to pretend to be a cripple anymore. Troy would need more time to heal, but he was making progress.David clearly seemed better than he was before Olivia left. Everyone could still hardly believe that Jacqueline almost killed everyone in the family all by herself. When Olivia returned, David asked with concern, "Olivia, Avery said that you were cursed. How are you feeling right now?""Don't worry, Dad. I'm all better now. But we think that Jacqueline's dead in the sea," she assured.He hugged her. "It's alright. Your safety is all I hope for."It broke her heart to see how time had chipped away at his physique. It hadn't actually been that long since the family was in trouble. "Any news about Mom's whereabouts?" asked Olivia. "Avery found something, but he's still trying to
Alan brushed it over, but it was enough to leave Wendell in shock. Wendell imagined what kind of life Wayne had led before this. Growing up in a slum where all kinds of people lived… People like them had never really owned anything anyway, so they wouldn't feel the pain of loss…Ever since his wife passed away, Wendell didn't really care much about Alexander's upbringing. Wendell was merely generous when it came to spending money on Alexander. But once he reunited with his son, he realized how much it could hurt to be a parent. If that marriage arrangement was Wayne's wish, Wendell was hell-bent on making it happen.…Olivia was watching the sunset painting colors to the horizon by the seashore. Although Jacqueline was dead, Olivia didn't feel happy, not even one bit. So what if the mastermind was dead? The Fordham family was still in disarray, and no one knew where Shana was.Olivia sighed softly. "You're too young to be sighing like that." Wayne suddenly appeared next
Wendell felt helpless. He was seriously down on luck.Instead of his son, he thought that he had found himself a bossy superior. It was a heartfelt reunion after 30 years of separation, and yet the first thing Wayne talked about was an announcement about his marriage rather than expressing words of concern for his family. If it were any ordinary woman, Wendell wouldn't have minded it. But the person he insisted on marrying was none other than Olivia! She was a divorced woman with four kids!On top of that, Olivia's ex-husband was Wendell's nephew! The divorced couple was somewhat entangled with each other too.Ethan and Wayne were both dear to him. What should he do? Wendell was at his wit's end. Ignoring Wendell's dilemma, Wayne handed him a cigarette. But Wendell refused, "I quit it."Wayne lit a cigarette and squatted on the ground. Instead of a ruler of a land, he appeared more like a construction worker. Wendell massaged his forehead at that. How had his son grown
Wendell had been frail all his life. He never imagined that his biological son would have been missing for so many years. What surprised him more was that Wayne had grown up well despite hardships. Still, there seemed to be something off about this son of his.They were father and son who had been separated for years. Now that the truth was revealed, shouldn't they be hugging each other in tears of joy? Why did Wayne show no joy in reuniting with his father but seemed interested in his identity as the son of the Procter family—or more precisely, the marriage arrangement between the Procter family and the Fordham family?""Son, things are a bit complicated right now. We need to take our time to discuss this thoroughly—""Am I not your son?" Wayne's restless temperament was exactly the same as his mother's. There was no chance of dissuading him. There was only one thing in his head. He felt fortunate that he had run a background check on the ties between both families. Otherwise