Suddenly, Alice cupped Lucas' cheek. She gave him a gentle rub like a mother would do to her child.
"You're a good man, Lucas. Without you, I wouldn't have been breathing. I wouldn't have survived until now. But I'm sorry ...."She moved her hand to Lucas' arm. "I can't be with you. Not only because I'm married, but also because I love Edmund too much. He and I have sworn to be faithful to each other until death do us part. If there was no him in this world, I would be better off alone. There is no man other than him who can occupy my heart. He is the only one for me, and I'm sure you and Rachel are like that too."Lucas snorted. Looking away, his eyes flickered with heat."So, there's no chance for me? You still chose him? You chose the person who betrayed you over your savior?"Alice shook her head faintly. "No, Lucas. Edmund never betrayed me. It was just Giselle and Elizabeth's instigation. I'm sure there must be a reason why he did what wEmma couldn't bear to see his misery. After hesitating, she said, "Alice went to calm down, Ed. I think it's better if you let her be. She'll come back when she's feeling better." "It's just the two of them, Emma!" Edmund's voice suddenly exploded. His lips trembled with anxiety. "A woman and a toddler. What can they do if they encounter wild animals or criminals? Why did you let them go? You should have kept them here." "Alice is used to adventures, Ed. Have you forgotten? Come on, don't exaggerate it. You two won't be apart for long. I'm sure she'll come back soon. Just let her calm down." "How do you know they'll come back, hmm? How do do you know?" Edmund's voice rose. "Don't lie to me, Em. I've lost them for five years. I was tormented every second of it. Now, it's only been a few days since I was able to be with them again. But you're asking me to let them go?" Emma shook her head quickly. "It's not like that, Ed. Earlier, Alice
Giselle clenched her jaw. Her hands turned into fists. "I have admired you for a long time, Ed. You're an extraordinary man. That's why I applied to be your secretary. I wanted to learn a lot from you. I wanted to be with you as often as possible. I wanted to always accompany you." Suddenly, Giselle shifted forward. Her face showed more seriousness. "And looking at you now, is there any reason for me to stop liking you? You managed to become a successful CEO. Yet, you still maintain your impressive personality. Is it possible for me to let you be with someone else?" Taking a deep breath, Giselle shook her head. "A man as good as you shouldn't waste your life on a woman like Alice. You should be with a great woman too, like me." "But I don't need a woman like you. I only need Alice. Never will I accept another woman," Edmund said no less loudly. Giselle started laughing. The sound was full of annoyance and disapp
"Edmund, where are you going?" Elizabeth asked. "Chasing my dream." Elizabeth hit his arm with all her might. "Where is your common sense? Your dream has been here all along. She just left. Hurry and chase her before it's too late!" Edmund looked at his mother with cold eyes. "My dream is to live happily with Alice and our daughter. If my company becomes an obstacle, I'm willing to let it go. I'm willing to do anything as long as my family stays together." Again, Elizabeth hit Edmund's arm. "Don't play around! You're an adult, Edmund. This is not the time for trial and error. Your success must be maintained. Do you think anyone can build a company that big?" "I'm not playing around. My decision is final. I want to go on an adventure with the people I love. That's happier. And now I realize. That's the life I want. To be free without any burdens." "Then what about the company? Your career? Your reputation? How ca
"You don't need to do anything, Mama. Maybe I'm being like this because of jetlag. I'll be excited again later." In fact, there was no time difference between both countries. Alice's fake smile finally peeled off. She could no longer avoid it. They really needed to discussed. "You don't need to lie, Honey. I am your mother. I know very well how you feel. Do you miss Papa?" Sky flinched. The light reflected in her eyes turned clear. "You know I miss Papa?" "Yeah, you've been daydreaming and occasionally checking Rocky Talkie." "You also know I bring Rocky Talkie?" Sky's voice grew higher as if to match the length of her neck. Alice smiled wryly. "You can't hide anything from me, Honey." Sky's face was covered with guilt. "Sorry, Mama. I didn't mean to make you sad. Are you angry because I bring Rocky Talkie and miss Papa?" "No. Why should I be angry?" "I should be comforting Ma
Alice nodded with a faint smile. "Yes, our first mission is here." "Why did you take me to the hospital, Mama?" Sky asked in a cute high voice. Alice laughed when she heard that. "That's a mission you have to complete, Honey. Can you guess why I brought you here?" Sky furrowed her eyebrows. Her lips pursed. "Do you want to visit someone who is being treated here?" Alice shook her head. "Try again." "Do you want to donate blood?" Alice repeated her head movements. "Buying medicine? But that can be done at the pharmacy, no need to go to the hospital." Suddenly, Sky gasped. "Are you sick, Mama? Do you have to see a doctor?" Her eyes widened. Alice pinched her chubby cheek. "No, Honey. Think about it carefully. Remember what this place has to do with you." "With me?" Sky's voice rose in pitch. "How could this place have anything to do with me? I don't remember ever bei
"Oh, Alice. I didn't know you're going through all that. It must have been really hard. You're strong for getting through it." Alice nodded with a bitter smile. "Thank you, Nurse Rea." After a short hug, Rea glanced to the other side. "You're strong too, Sky. You can survive until this moment. You're very cool." Sky chuckled lightly. "Thank you, Ma'am." "You're welcome, Sweetheart." After kissing the little girl's head, Rea patted the back of Alice's hand. "So now, how are you feeling? Are you getting better?" Alice's smile suddenly faded. After a moment of contemplation, she looked down. "I don't know. I'm not sure. I feel like I'm very mean to Sky, to Edmund, to Lucas. They all suffer because of me." Hearing the confession, Sky became gloomy. She moved next to Alice, shaking her arm slightly. "Mama, why are you talking like that? You're not bad. I don't have a problem with my past and p
Alice smiled. Her brain worked quickly to find the right task for Sky. "There's someone here that I want to meet. I hope that you can confirm whether she's inside or not. If you manage to find her, call me. Only after that, I will come in." Sky blinked digesting the mission. "Why don't you just come in straight away, Mama? Why ask me to check first?" "Because I want to train you to be independent and socialable. An adventurer must have that ability. Can you do it?" Sky snorted a little. "That's easy. What kind of person should I look for?" "She's a blonde woman with a big smile. She used to be skinny, but I don't know what she's like now. Her name is Zoey." Sky nodded cutely. "Okay. I just need to find the one with blonde hair. Then, I have to say hello and get to know her. That's easy, Mama." "Well then, do it immediately. I want to complete the mission before the museum opens." "Okay, M
Zoey nodded. "I can understand. Even though Lucas was annoying, he always looked after you well. Moreover, he was also the one who saved you from the river." While Zoey pondered, silence hung. At that moment, Alice whispered again. "Zoey, can I ask you something?" Zoey's eyes widened. "Yeah. Sure. Just ask." "When did you start to suspect that I wasn't Rachel?" Zoey blinked stiffly. "From the moment Lucas introduced you to me. You two looked awkward. Even though you lost your memory, if you were his real wife, there must be a bond between you." Thinking of something, Alice bit her lip. After taking a deep breath, she took out her phone. "Then, can you tell me what you think about my husband? I think you're an expert at judging people, Zoey." Zoey's laughter immediately echoed. "You think I'm a fortune teller? But never mind. I like observing and judging. Where's the photo?" Alice was look
"Sky, we should have brought that rifle too. Why did we leave it in the tent? The hunter could have taken it," Emily whispered as she shook Sky's hand. Feeling uncomfortable, Louis elbowed his sister in the arm. "Emily, there's nothing to regret. We'd better think of a way to defeat this evil man." "You think you can beat me?" The hunter laughed harshly. "Don't dream!" The hunter raised his rifle again. However, when he was about to aim, a strange sound came from above. Seeing a big orangutan about to jump from a branch, Sky hurriedly pulled the twins to run. She no longer cared about the rifle lying on the ground. She knew very well that angry orangutan was much more dangerous than the hunter. Meanwhile, the hunter was already stunned. He could only scream when the large mammal fell on him. The other hunters who watched did not dare to act. They didn't even move, afraid that the orangutan would think of them as their next target. "Aaargh! You guys .... Don't just sta
The twins fell silent. They didn't know what the right answer was. They didn't want to go back to that cramped confinement, but they also didn't want to be shot. Moreover, the hunter in front of them seemed serious about his threat. "Louis, I don't think we should fight back. He won't hesitate to shoot us. Look, his finger is ready to pull the trigger," Emily whispered anxiously. Louis swallowed hard. He agreed with his sister, but was reluctant to admit it. "Relax, Emily. There must be other ways to survive." He thought hard, forcing his brain to come up with spontaneous ideas. "Sir, how about we negotiate?" he said unexpectedly. The hunter pulled his eyes back from the lookout hole. One of his eyebrows rose. He didn't expect to hear those words. "What kind of negotiation can a little kid like you offer?" "We are not ordinary kids. We are the heirs of the Savior Group, potential great leaders in the future. If you are willing to free us, we will pay you a large amount.
"Papa, what a coincidence, Louis' GPS is with me. I'm looking at the coordinates of our location," Sky blinked stiffly. "That's great, Baby. Can you tell me the coordinates? I will be heading straight there." Sky swallowed hard. Cold sweat beaded on her forehead. "That's the problem. I forgot the numbers I had memorized." Edmund fell silent for a moment. Sky could imagine him sighing in disappointment. "Papa, are you angry? Change." "No, Baby. I'm not angry. I understand that you are too nervous. Try to take a deep breath, calm your mind. You have managed to remember all the numbers and even letters, Darling. Slowly, you will be able to read them." Sky followed Edmund's advice. After closing her eyes for a moment, she looked carefully at the coordinates. "There's a little line sleeping here, Papa." "Okay. That's a negative sign. It means you are south of the equator. Then?" "There's an egg. It's zero, right?" "Yes. You're doing well so far. What's next, D
"Do I see correctly? There is a human child in the middle of the forest?" The man spoke a language that Louis and Emily didn't understand. An annoyed chuckle came from the other man. "Damn! Just adding to our work." "What should we do now?" "What else? We can't possibly let them escape. They can report to other people. Our plan could be ruined. Let's catch them!" The twins blinked at the rifle pointed at them. Emily immediately hid behind Louis' back, while Louis bravely stepped forward and stretched his arms in front of Mimi. "Don't hurt these orangutans! They are rare animals protected by the whole world. They should not be hunted and traded!" Louis exclaimed loudly. Over Louis' shoulder, Emily peeked out. "Yes! Orangutans must be conserved, not hunted. Don't you feel sorry for them? Look! The baby is scared!" Unexpectedly, the two hunters laughed. Not long after that, another person arrived with a frightening aura. His skin color was much paler than his friends. Obvio
"No, Louis." Emily frowned. "We can't leave Mimi here alone. She could die." "But that's what she wants. She wants her child to be safe! She will survive. We just need to save her child quickly. I think we can do it. We are trained children, you remember?" Once again, Emily shook her head firmly. "No, Louis. That's too risky. We can't be selfish and think about our own pleasure. How about we just call the forest house? This is a serious matter." While Louis took a deep breath, Sky knitted her eyebrows. She looked very serious with her lips folded inward. "I think Emily is right. We can't solve this problem alone. We need help from adults. Our parents and the foundation people. We have to report this to them. Mimi needs medical help, while the poachers need to be caught." Louis pondered for a moment. He was actually reluctant to contact his parents. He wanted to be independent. However, Emily and Sky's words made sense. The problem was too big for them. "Okay. I'll call Dad
"Sky, what's that sound?" Emily whispered in a choked voice. "Is that an explosion?" "I think it was the sound of a gun," Louis interrupted before grabbing the smaller girl's arm. "Sky, could it be a poacher?" Sky blinked angrily. "Maybe yes. This area is outside the scope of the foundation. The patrol team only checks it occasionally, when they have time." "Isn't illegal hunting prohibited? Only bad people still kill animals. What do you think they just shot, Sky? Is it an orangutan?" Louis asked with a serious expression. Emily immediately shuddered in horror. "Oh, if the hunters are targeting orangutan, I hope it manages to escape and survive. Orangutans are rare animals. It would be a shame if they became extinct." "And I hope it's not Mimi," Sky continued, stomping her foot. "She always takes her child everywhere. She must have difficulty moving and is vulnerable to attacks." "How about we check it? If it is indeed the work of poachers, we can immediately report this
"Honey, have you seen the kids?" Alice asked as she approached Edmund. "Kids?" Edmund looked away from his laptop. His eyebrows raised. "Aren't they still sleeping? I didn't see them come out of the tent." "I thought so too. But after I checked, they weren't there." Edmund looked around. His eyes and ears sharpened. However, no trace of the children was detected. "Are they playing in the back garden?" Alice shook her head. "I've checked it. They're not there." "Chicken coop? Who knows, Sky took the twins to see the chicks." "Not there too." Edmund snapped his fingers. "The geese coop! They must be playing with Gigi and Gusi." Alice took a deep breath. The lines on her forehead looked clearer. "I've looked everywhere, Ed. They're not anywhere." "Have you searched the house? Who knows, they might be playing hide and seek. They might be hiding somewhere." Edmund got up from the chair, about to check another room. At that moment, Russell ran out of the gue
Louis' brows furrowed at Edmund's question. "Why did you ask that, Sir? Of course I love Sky. She's my friend. She's like a little sister to me." Edmund blinked stiffly. "Is that so? You think of her as a little sister?" Louis nodded firmly. "Yeah, I think Emily is like that too. She used to want a younger sister. When Russell was born, she was sad. Sky's presence helped her to forget that disappointment." Edmund's lips slowly pursed. His hands were shoved into his pockets. "So, you consider my daughter to be your sister?" he muttered. For some reason, a feeling of relief rose in his heart. "Does it mean you will look after her like your little sister?" "Yes, I will take good care of Sky. I won't make her cry." Edmund's eyebrows knitted together. "But earlier, I saw you picking on Emily. Can you be trusted to look after your younger siblings?" Louis' lips suddenly twitched. While scratching his temple, he chuckled. "About that, I actually like teasing Emily. She's a cr
Everyone clapped when Sky and her animal friends finished performing. It wasn't just the Harper kids who were amazed, but their parents too. "Thank you, Sky. This is the sweetest welcome we have ever received," Kara said with a big smile. "Yes, this is an extraordinary welcome. How did you train those animals? Not just cat and dog, you also managed to train two geese." Frank gave Sky thumbs up. The little girl chuckled proudly. "That's because they're not just animals, Sir. They're my friends and they're smart. I think they want to follow my instructions because we get along well." "They're your friends?" Frank raised an eyebrow. The twins immediately scrambled to explain. "There are no other children here, Daddy. Therefore, Sky only plays with her animal friends." "Sky said she always fed them a lot. I think that's why the animals obey her. They like Sky!" Sky jumped enthusiastically. "Louis and Emily are right. Every day, I spend most of my time with my animal friend