When Adina and the children were finished with the grocery shopping, they returned to the mansion.The children sat in the living room watching cartoons, while Adina went to the kitchen to prepare dinner. Flint followed her.“I drove Jasmine away,” he said while peeling the beans. “I’m sorry, Addy. I didn’t pay attention to my spending, so Jasmine used it to find my location. Fortunately, she didn’t meet you.”“It doesn’t matter even if she meets me.” Adina pursed her lips. “I avoided her because I didn’t want to cause trouble. However, I won’t be so generous if trouble comes to me. Jasmine is not stupid. She is likely to contact Earl. I tricked Earl, so he will probably come to find me in person.”Flint sneered. “If he dares to come here, you and Duke can catch him and deal with him.”Adina lowered her head and prepared the ingredients. Duke had lost his memories. It was unlikely that he would kill someone who looked exactly like him without knowing everything. Even if Duke recov
Adina turned around and saw that their conversation had become a spectacle. Her children along with Karl, Pete and Flint were listening in around the computer.She blushed. “Don’t say things like that. I am going to hang up now.”“I’ll meet you tonight then,” Duke’s voice was hoarse. “Addy, I miss you. I want to see you.”Adina blushed harder and her heart raced. She was afraid her heart would stop beating, so she hung up the phone in a hurry.“Huh, why did you hang up?”“Mommy, Daddy hasn’t finished speaking yet. Why did you hang up?”The children pestered her.Adina took a deep breath and tried to calm herself before she walked to the living room.“Don’t monitor my calls in the future,” she said, trying to keep a straight face.Melody tilted her head, as if she found this amusing. “Mommy, your ears are so red.”“Mommy, are you shy?” Harold teased.George nodded. “Daddy said he misses Mommy, so mommy must be shy.”Adina was at a loss for words. These brats knew too much.
The bedroom was pitch black. Adina smelled cigarette smoke. She thought it was Duke, but the grip on her wrist was so strong that it almost broke her arm.Duke would never be so forceful with her. Adina raised her foot and kicked the chair by the bed, but the man avoided it. The man in the dark seemed to take it as provocation. He grabbed her by the wrist and threw her on the bed. He pinned her down on the bed.“Adina, you seem to be living a good life here. Have you forgotten who I am?” The cold and low voice made her shudder. She narrowed her eyes in the dark.She pushed her elbow against the man’s neck. “You know that my martial arts skills are better than yours. Don’t force me to beat you up.”“Really?”Earl suddenly took a black thing out of his pocket and pressed it against Adina’s forehead. “Do you still think I can’t beat you?”It was a black thing with a cold touch and a death aura. Adina knew what it was.She stared coldly at Earl’s tragic face now slightly vis
He leaned over her and parted his mouth to bite the woman’s lips.Adina turned her head away. “Don’t kiss me.”“Why? Do you find me disgusting?” Earl turned her face to him. “Adina, the more you hate my actions, the more I want to do things that sicken you. Because only with this would I remain more stubbornly etched in your head, and you would stop thinking about leaving my side all the time.”Adina glared at him. “You’re letting Duke down by doing this!”“A dead man is a dead man. So, what if I’m not worthy?” Earl said indifferently, “Now is not the time to bring up the dead.”Adina lowered her gaze. It seemed that Earl was completely unaware of Duke being alive. She could use this to cause a huge stir...As she pondered this, Earl lowered his head to hers. When he was just a centimeter away from kissing her neck, the balcony suddenly flung open.The chilly night air billowed in, causing the man, who leaned over Adina, to raise his head.Earl’s gloomy eyes looked towards the
Duke’s voice faltered and the room fell silent. The only sound was the rustle of wind outside the window.Adina stared at him. “You disappeared on our wedding day,” she said slowly. “He came to the Winters family’s mansion pretending to be you. He lived in your house, was a husband to your wife, was a father to your children, took charge of your company… You were chased out here, having to carry responsibilities that were not yours...”Her voice rang in Duke’s ears. A fractured memory surfaced in his mind. The past emerged in his thoughts one by one, like fleeting scenes from a train window.Beads of cold sweat formed on his forehead.“Duke, what’s wrong?” Adina rushed toward him and took his arm.“The back of my head hurts...” Duke closed his eyes. “A lot of repressed memories… but I can’t remember anything…”“Don’t worry…,” said Adina softly. She held him. “You only need to remember that you are my husband, a father to your children, and you have a full and happy family. So, hu
He had seen these four children before, but it had been less intense than them appearing simultaneously before him in this way.He slowly regained his senses, stood up and walked towards them. “I’m sorry I neglected my duties and couldn’t protect you all, just like how I couldn’t protect your mommy.”“Daddy, you meanie!” sobbed Melody as he lunged into Duke’s arms and burst into tears.Harold was also almost choking on his tears. “Daddy, will you disappear again like before?”Duke shook his head. “No, it’ll never happen again.” He would never leave his wife and his children in danger ever again. George’s eyes were a little red. “Daddy, when can we go home?”“We need to wait till I settle things here first, then Daddy will take you all home.” Duke scooped the children up in his arms in one sweeping motion.Alden squirmed. “Daddy, Mommy’s been through a lot, you have to treat Mommy better from now on.”Duke stroked his head. “Of course!”Seeing her husband hugging the children,
“How many subordinates does Elder Maurice have?” Terry asked coldly.Isabelle clenched her teeth and said in a low voice, “eight high-ranking officers, twenty-three mid-ranking officers, and over two hundred military personnel.”Duke’s eyes turned cold. The number of people were only one-third of the people on the list Adina had given him. It seemed that some people were very good at hiding themselves.These people were always ready to attack him, it was time for him to take them all down. “In three days, bring these people to the Soux River. I will bring Elder Maurice with me,” he said icily. “Deal.” Isabelle nodded.It was not until the man’s figure had disappeared into the entrance of the mansion did a deep hatred surface in her eyes. She was the eldest daughter of the Black Party’s head, there was no way she would willingly serve under someone else.She got into her car and took out her cell phone. “Gather my subordinates, we will meet at Soux River in three days. Remembe
Mavice’s hand pressed down on his arm. “No, I just thought you resemble someone...,” she said softly.Duke pulled his arm away from her grip, avoiding Mavice’s touch.“I’m sorry, I forgot myself.” Mavice looked away and lowered her head to take a sip of coffee. She regained her composure.The rest of their meeting went smoothly. The two agreed on the venue of meeting, their course of action and how to perform the handover.“I shall see you the day after tomorrow then, Queen Mavice. Goodbye.” Duke bowed respectfully, put on his mask and left the opera house.Mavice stood at the stairs, watching as his back slowly disappeared from the entrance, and tears suddenly pricked her eyes again.It was shocking to think that the newly appointed Black Party leader’s face matched so strikingly with her late husband’s. Even the scar on his face was the same.When she was thirty years old, her husband had died protecting her. Her husband’s face from so long ago had always stayed in her mind. H