He had seen Dillon many times before, but Duke had never met him as his son-in-law.“Mr. Winters, nice to meet you.” Duke got up calmly and shook hands with Duke.Duke politely said, “Father, you can call me by my name.”Dillon had been very nervous meeting him. But when Duke called him ‘father’, a smile appeared on his lips.Since Duke addressed him as his father, just like Adina, he was sure that both of them were very close. “Father, why are you here?” Adina served Dillon a cup of coffee. “Daniel said you fainted. I wanted to visit you in the hospital, but I couldn’t find time to do so.” Dillon stared at her with worry. “You’ve only rested for a night. Are you feeling better?”“I feel much better now. It’s not a big issue,” Adina said. “I planned to go to the site and take a look at the progress of the project, but Duke insisted on having me rest at home. I feel bored at home.”Dillon said solemnly, “You have to listen to Duke. Rest at home. You have Dan to take care of t
“Duke, can you tell me exactly what all this is about?” Flint asked. “Why does Addy suddenly want to find out about bio-intelligent chips? Bio-intelligent chips are common among the Rebellious Party in the Hestia Border. Why does she want to investigate it?”Duke said in a dull tone, “After I find out everything clearly, I will be sure to tell you. Right now, I will tell Blake to find you.”Duke hung up and sent a message to Blake.Just then, a courier arrived at the entrance of his mansion. Mr. Brown carried the box upstairs. Duke cut it open. It was the fingerprint membrane he asked someone to prepare for him this morning.He put on the fingerprint membrane on his index finger. He took out a small communicator and pressed his index finger on it.Tik! The line was connected.After three seconds, a man’s voice came from the communicator. He spoke in fluent English.“Boss, you finally contacted me!”Duke said in a cold voice, “Professor Elvis, how’s the latest progress of the re
“So? The way I see it you will not have the chance to impersonate me anymore,” said Duke. Earl stopped laughing.“Hmph!” Earl put out the cigarette he was smoking against the tabletop. A burnt trace was left behind. “Spill it out. Why are you looking for me?”Duke twiddled his fingers. “I have burned your underground biological company down. What do you have to say about it?”“Let it be. Do you seriously think I care about it?” Earl said lazily. “Is there anything else? If not, I have other business to deal with.”There were several naked women on his bed.“Regarding the bio-intelligent chips you previously sold, the buyers came to look for you,” Duke said calmly. “Something is wrong with the program. People who have been implanted with the chip behaved abnormally. They need the destruction program. You should handle this first.”“That’s very funny. Why should I work for you, huh?” Earl propped his hands on the table. His face was enlarged on the screen. “You’re impersonating me
The breeze outside was cold, and Adina was in her pajamas. Duke took a jacket from the hanger and quickly chased after her. “Addy, put on some clothes first.”But he was too late.Adina opened the car door and started the car. She drove out of the Winters family’s mansion in a rush.“Mr. Winters, what happened to Mdm. Winters?” Mr. Brown was shocked. “Mdm. Winters will catch a cold with so few clothes on. Please go after her. You must take care of her in that condition…”Before Mr. Brown even finished speaking, Duke drove the black sports car and went after her.It was a weekday. There were very few cars on the road. The weather was cold. There were very few pedestrians. Only two cars sped on the road.Duke dared not get too close to her. He was afraid that Adina would race her car without much care for her own life.Adina must be carrying out the orders from the bio-intelligent chip inside her body. He vividly remembered reading the reports of the victim. They carried out the
Outside the car, the cold breeze blew the leaves away.Adina looked down and said in a calm voice, “Whenever we’re at our most intimate moments, a mechanical female voice appears in my mind. The first time it appeared, it asked me to jump off the building. Later, as I grew closer to you, that voice asked me to leave you or forced me to spew nonsense…”She yanked at the strands of hair that had dropped on her brow. “I cannot resist that voice’s order no matter how hard I try, so I have to do what it says. Otherwise, my head hurts so bad until I give in to it. It is so excruciatingly painful that I sometimes wish I could just kill myself to end the pain.”“Addy…”Duke did not know what to say. He hugged Adina close trying to transmit all his warmth and energy to her.He could not take away her pain. But when he saw her so lost and helpless, he felt his heart constrict. Seeing her in pain hurt him so much that it felt as if a knife was thrust in his heart.What he wouldn’t give to s
The caller was Blake. Duke narrowed his eyes and answered the call.“Boss, Earl attempted to escape half an hour ago, but we managed to capture him.”Duke’s eyes turned stormy. “Keep a close watch on him. Do not let him escape!”“Don’t worry, Boss. I have assigned ten more people to stand guard over the basement. He can’t possibly escape this place even if he has gods helping him now.”Duke hung up. He frowned. Adina stroked his cheek. “Don’t worry. There must be a way to solve all this.”Duke patted her back and spoke gently, “Let’s go home first. We need to find an excuse for our children.”They discussed what to tell their kids when they got home. Soon, they arrived at the Winters family’s mansion.Preschool had ended early. So, the children were already home. They were all in the living room, talking to Mabel.Adina and Duke entered the mansion, hand-in hand. When the children saw them, they quickly surrounded them.Harold chirped, “Mommy, aren’t you supposed to rest at ho
Adina always addressed Mabel as Mrs. Winters. Today, she took the initiative to call her “Mother”.Mabel felt as if a huge weight was off her heart.If Duke and Adina accepted her as their mother, it meant that they had forgiven the past.“Oh… Addy, don’t you worry. Leave your children with me. I will take care of them,” she said happily.“Mommy, I don’t want to live away from you!” Harold lunged at Adina and wrapped his arms around her neck. He cried, “Mommy, I want to stay with you. Please, I beg you!”Melody tugged on Adina’s sleeve and said, “Mommy, I’ve never lived away from you. Please don’t move out… please!”Even though George and Alden were quiet, it was clear that they shared their sibling’s wish. They looked very reluctant.Alden, especially, looked hesitant. He and Melody had never been away from their mother. Even when Adina was at her busiest, she had taken them along with her.The Jones Corporation resort project seemed fine for now. He knew that the situation th
Melody was about to cry. “Will Mommy never like me again?”Alden hugged his sister. “Mommy is not angry. I think she has something to do. That’s why she was impatient.”“The succession contest to Jones Corporation is important to Mommy,” George said. “Mommy must have a strong reason to move out. Stop making trouble, Harold.” Harold clenched his fist. He did not want to part with his mother. “I know I made a mistake. I’ll go and apologize to Mommy.”Alden pursed his lips. “Let Mommy calm down first.”“Your daddy and mommy are just moving to live near the project site. They aren’t leaving for another country. When you miss you miss them, I can take you there any time. It’s not a big deal.” Mrs. Winters smiled. “Hal, don’t cry. You’re making Mel cry as well. Wipe your tears.”Harold nodded and wiped his tears. Melody also calmed down.The door of the master bedroom opened. Adina stood at the railing. “Didn’t you all agree to help me pack? Why didn’t you come up?”Harold ran upsta