Although it seemed like the climb from the foot to the top of the mountain should be short, Lena ended up taking three full days to make the ascent.In the end, while she was completely out of provisions and utterly exhausted, she collapsed unconscious in front of the dilapidated gate of the abbey.When she woke up again, she was already lying on a hard wooden bed. She was in a place that was quite similar to where she had lived with Branden when she was a child.She sat up and noticed that the room was sparsely furnished. One could even say it was an empty place with nothing but bare walls.Occasionally, she could hear the sounds of chickens and other poultry coming from outside the taped-up window.Lena got out of bed, put on her shoes, and quietly walked to the door. She pulled open the carved wooden door that showed signs of age.The courtyard was similar to a typical abbey's courtyard. It's a small quadrangle with plants and bushes everywhere, decorated pillars, and statues,
This way, Margot and the rest would feel less worried and their lives would feel more secure.Curtis held her close and comforted her, saying, "The reason Calvin took Natalie back to Emeria is because Anthony went to find Lena."Don't worry, if Anthony finds Lena, he will definitely inform us right away."Margot agreed after thinking it over.It was because Anthony went to find Lena that Calvin took Natalie and Benjamin back to Emeria.She was now just waiting for news from Anthony and didn't need to spend too much manpower searching for Lena. She believed that he would definitely find Lena .…After getting up and freshening up, the couple went downstairs to have breakfast.In the dining room, Elias, Ashley, Laura, Curtis, and Margot were seated.In the middle of the meal, Laura looked up at Elias and Ashley and said, "I want to participate in a talent show."Several people simultaneously turned their gaze toward Laura.Laura looked at them and said, "This is my dream, and
Curtis wasn't at all that happy about Margot reaching out to Tommy, and he said, "I'll handle the discussions about the investment. You stay home and take care of Louis."Margot refused, saying, "No, you don't understand how profitable the entertainment industry is. I've got money, and I'll invest in it to eventually monopolize the entire entertainment industry for Natalie's studio."Then, we'll turn the studio into a company, go public, and make a fortune."Curtis was both amused and exasperated. "Do you think making money is that easy? Do you think you can just create a monopoly or go public on a whim? Do you have any idea how much money needs to be invested to get there?"Margot stared at Curtis with obvious disdain. She said, "I have plenty of money, so it doesn't matter how much I invest. I'll put my money into any big project, whether it makes a profit or not. My main goal is to dominate the entertainment industry and become a major player. This way, I can support Aunt Laur
Back at Mt. Floust, in Ciele Abbey, Lena followed the sounds of people and arrived at the corner of the courtyard by the main gate of the abbey.In the spacious courtyard ahead, eight young and graceful-looking boys dressed in traditional priest attire were practicing martial arts.They were confident in their movements and spoke with powerful voices.When she saw a small child ahead that was about the same height as Lilac, Lena quickly ran over and pulled her close.But as soon as she saw the child's face, Lena felt disheartened once again—it wasn't Lilac.The young priest who was grabbed by Lena frowned and asked, "What are you doing?"The fellow priests gathered around Lena with their expressions looking distant."Why aren't you resting inside, Ms. Benefactor? What brings you out here?""Don't disturb us while we're practicing our martial arts, or else Master will punish us.""Please leave, Ms. Benefactor."Lena felt astonished as she looked at the group of young people su
Lena couldn't believe it. She was really going to meet the long-awaited Branden.A smile unconsciously spread across her face.She quickly followed the only person she remembered, which was her junior, Jace Bryer.Serenity Hall was located at the highest level of Ciele Abbey. When they reached the main entrance, Jace shouted into the building, "Master, the visitor you were expecting has arrived."Lena was very nervous. As she stood outside the main entrance, her heart felt like it was about to leap out of her chest.She figured that there shouldn't be any mistake. The person inside had to be Branden.But she was curious. Wasn't Branden always with her in that dilapidated chapel in the mountains? Why was there such a large abbey with so many disciples at the top of this mountain? Branden probably hadn't taken on these apprentices just in the past year or two, had he?Soon, a child opened the door.Lena was filled with a sense of joy and her eyes welled up with tears when she saw
Branden continued, "Although the Morris family took away your family's power, just look at the entirety of Emeria. There wouldn't be the prosperity you see today without the peace maintained by the Morris family. The royal family of Emeria should be grateful instead."As for why I look so young…"Branden stood up and turned around gracefully. He looked down at Lena who was kneeling on the ground in tears."If you devote yourself to spirituality, free yourself from desires, have a heart full of kindness, and help all beings, you will eventually become like me," he said wisely.But realistically speaking, few people in this world could truly be free of desires and selflessly help others. It was because no one could achieve it that they couldn't escape the fate of life, aging, sickness, and death.Lena, with tears in her eyes, looked up at Branden's imposing and handsome figure. She began to cry out loud."Then do you know that right now, being with him feels worse than death? When
Branden looked at Lena and wondered how many days she had spent climbing the mountain. She looked quite haggard at the moment.With that, Branden gently patted Lena's shoulder and said, "You should go rest first and regain your energy. Then, I'll have the others show you around."Lena nodded and then turned to leave....Back in Amberville, both Lena and Natalie were gone. Ever since Luna's true relationship with Gabriel was exposed, she rarely made an appearance too.Laura was extremely busy these days because she was preparing to join a girl group. Every day after school, she locked herself in her dance room. Then, she would give it her all to practice her singing and dancing.Margot no longer had a close friend to share her thoughts with. Each day, she would either take Louis with her and go to work with Curtis or occasionally visit her pizzeria.Life was going pretty well overall. However, something always felt missing inside for Margot. The relatives who used to live at the
"Tomorrow morning," Curtis answered.Margot understood, and she gently pinched Louis' cheek. "Mommy and Daddy will be away for half a month. We hope that by the time we come back, you'll be running around, okay?"Louis didn't understand what Margot was saying, but seeing her happy made him happy too. He started moving around energetically, waving his arms and legs. He was full of delight and liveliness.Curtis picked up Louis and gave him a couple of kisses. Then, he instructed the nanny and the household staff to pay extra attention to certain matters. He reminded them to ring him immediately should anything come up.When Elias and Ashley came back from their evening stroll, Curtis informed them that he would be taking Margot along on a business trip. Of course, they didn't oppose to this at all.Margot didn't seem to be happy staying at home all the time lately. They thought it was best for her to have a change of environment.Curtis made all the necessary arrangements. The nex