Soon, Holly suppressed her urge to laugh and said softly, "I was very sad that night. I passed by a bar and went in to order an Apricot Blossom. Little did I know that it wasn't tea, but a cocktail instead! And a strong one, at that. "I passed out after drinking the whole glass. If I had the slightest hint of consciousness left in me, I would've avoided doing something that might give others the wrong idea."Bryce pursed his lips slightly.After he calmed down, he believed what Holly told him. But he didn't trust Abelin.He was a man himself, so he understood other men's thoughts very well.If any guy were to see the woman he liked lying unconscious in front of him, he would be tempted to caress or kiss her.He pinched the area between his eyebrows and smiled a little as he said, "Let's not talk about this anymore and forget about it.""About your father…""I threw the photo at his face and made it clear to him. He will be mindful of his actions in the future."Holly felt tha
The chemicals slowly began reacting with each other, making a soft hissing sound.Holly repeated her actions, brushing the solution over the wall.An hour later, the solution eroded a gaping hole in the wall.She marveled at the wisdom of their ancestors. This was a really strong wall.Desmond stared at the hole and said to everyone, "Stand back. We will be lighting the explosive next."Everyone stepped back hurriedly, moving to the outside of the secret chamber.Only Tristan and an old, wrinkly man stayed there.The old man was probably the explosives expert that Desmond was talking about.He took out an explosive from a large black bag by his feet, putting it in the hole. He gave Tristan a few instructions.Holly and the others waited at the top of the secret chamber.They were all anxious, especially Annie. She asked Desmond, "He'll be alright, won't he?"Desmond sat in his wheelchair, stroking his chin. He said lightly, "It's not his first time doing this. The old man's
Jackie took up one of the drawings and unfolded it carefully.It looked extremely brittle because of its age. The signature on it had faded a little, but the markings of the actual drawing were still crisp and clear.The horses depicted in the drawing had athletic and toned bodies. They marched along the river in triumph, a picture of strength and unity.The signature and the artistic choices made told Holly that this was a drawing from the Wild Horses series by Gunther Hockney.Gunther was a famous artist in the 1800s. No other painters could draw horses as well as he could.His horses looked like they were about to leap off the drawing.Holly wasn't expecting the Foxes to own this.As everyone admired the piece, the drawing began visibly deteriorating as it came into contact with more oxygen.However, Holly had already memorized it.This drawing could go up to billions of dollars in an auction after Holly restored it.She got the men to photograph the other pieces of art so
Holly sped up, smiling at him. "Why are you up so early?"Bryce said indifferently, "I was waiting for you."He was looking behind her. Seeing that there was only the bodyguard behind her, he retracted his gaze."How long have you been waiting?" she asked."Not long."Holly held his cold fingers, rubbing them against her warm hands. "I got Tristan's call last night. They needed me there for the last wall. I didn't wake you up since you were fast asleep. And I'm only here now because I was busy."Bryce smiled lightly. He put an arm around her shoulders and brought her into the room. "I'll get someone to bring us breakfast. You can sleep after you eat.""Okay."Bryce got the bodyguards to buy them breakfast.Holly went to the washroom to wash her hands.Bryce locked the door from the inside and went up to her. He put his hand on hers and placed his chin on her head. Saying nothing, he washed her hands for her.Holly was a little surprised, but she let him.After that, she dri
After Bryce's condition stabilized, Holly flew back to Jardington with him.Along with them were Abelin, Hunter, and a group of bodyguards.When they arrived, Hunter and Jackie began immediately handling the treasure.The ones that could be moved to Claria were moved. The ones that couldn't were handed over to Abelin to be presented at the auction.…Holly received a call from Hunter, saying he wanted to meet her.Holly went to the hotel that Hunter stayed in at the appointed time.He took out two drawings, handing them to her.Holly unrolled them carefully.She studied them. One of them was "The Chariot" by Marcus Youngville. The other was "The Riding Bull" by John Langster.Hunter pointed at "The Chariot" and said, "If this is the real deal, it'll be considered a national treasure. We couldn't take it out of the country, and it'd be a hassle to auction it off. I'm planning to give it to Jardington Museum as a favor."Holly considered it for a while.One of Trevor's mentee
It wasn't Holly's first time being on TV. Thus, she agreed to join the TV program quite willingly.On top of the fame, she would also be earning royalties from it. So, why wouldn't she do it?After recording the session, the organizers secured themselves a spot on the trend chart to hype it up.The headlines read, "The Most Beautiful Restorer, Holly Sinclair", "Holy Sinclair Restores National Artifacts", "Holly Sinclair and Stanley Warner's Mountain Home", and "Holly Sinclair Restores Ancient Paintings".At once, Holly was trending everywhere. She gained a few million followers at once.Everyone was captivated by this beautiful restorer.Usually, only celebrities in the entertainment industry would dominate the trend charts, but not this time.It was simply amazing to see a non-celebrity reaching the same levels of fame.…Nina was in a hair salon doing her hair. She scrolled on her phone aimlessly.To her surprise, the news was all about Holly.She counted the number of has
Arthur was utterly humiliated by Nina.He said crossly, "Are you done?""No. Just stop breaking up Bryce and Holly. Don't you think it's tiring to keep doing that?" Nina replied.Arthur cast a sideways glance at her and then looked at his watch. "I'm busy. I have no time for all this nonsense."He pushed his chair, stood up, and grabbed his phone and wallet.Nina stopped him from leaving. "Where are you going?""To an appointment.""Where?"Arthur's eyelids twitched. "What does this have to do with you?""It has everything to do with me. If Bryce gets so mad that he cuts off all ties with you, I'll be the one inheriting the company. I have to familiarize myself with my future workplace."Arthur scoffed. "I wouldn't leave it to you. I still have Levi."Nina said crisply, "But Mom is your lawfully wedded wife. I'm the next heir. Levi comes after me."Arthur sneered. "Well, if you want to inherit my company, you'll need to suck up to me. Someone like you wouldn't even have a s
Arthur's face froze. He chuckled dryly.He held up his wineglass and changed the topic. "Let's have another round, Mr. Joseph."William drank another sip from his glass and put it down, saying seriously, "You really have to support your daughter-in-law's endeavors, Arthur."Arthur's throat had gone dry. He didn't want to talk about this any longer.It was like he was sitting on a throne of thorns.After a moment's silence, he said, "She and my son divorced a long time ago."William was stunned. "Why?"Arthur said thoughtfully, "They didn't work out."A trace of disappointment flashed through William's eyes. "That's a pity. She's such a brilliant girl."Arthur sighed in relief. At least they weren't talking about it anymore.He just couldn't understand why people loved Holly so much. She was just a restorer. She had no powerful family background.It was simply nonsensical.…A week later, Hunter and Jackie left Jardington and headed toward Calria, bringing bodyguards with t
Sitting by Bryce's bed, Holly softly held his slender fingers as if such a move would keep him safe.She must have been exhausted or emotionally spent, as she soon fell asleep by the bed. She then suffered a nightmare, in which Bryce stood in front of her, covered in blood from head to toe. Forcing a smile, he said to her, "Holly, I can't stay by your side anymore. You need to take care of yourself and be strong."After that, he turned into wisps of smoke and vanished right in front of her eyes. She frantically reached out to hold him, but she was clawing at the air.She waved her hands madly to take hold of him and run after him. Her voice was hoarse from all the yelling. "Bryce! Bryce Gabelman!"Her shouting was futile. Jolting awake, she gasped for air. Her forehead was drenched in sweat, and her eyes were wet from crying.She noticed that she was lying in the caregiver's bed. Someone—perhaps Bryce—had carried her to the bed.Bryce managed to get out of bed and lay by her
"You're injured. Don't stay on the floor—it's cold. Get up now!" Holly cautiously pulled Bryce up from the ground.He was speechless at her response. Any other woman would have happily accepted the ring and put it on.Perhaps, the woman he loved was different from the others.Going on one knee, Bryce refused to get up. He tenderly stared at Holly. "I'll get up after you agree to remarry me.""Get up now, and I'll agree to it."Defeated, he stood up, held her hand, and tried to put the ring on her finger when he was overwhelmed by a wave of dizziness. He lost his balance and collapsed forward onto her.Holly quickly held him and asked worriedly, "What's wrong?"Bryce's lips parted. He wanted to reassure her that he was fine, but he couldn't utter a word. Soon after, his fingers that grasped the ring went numb. The large diamond ring dropped to the ground, spinning and clattering until it came to a stop.Panicking, Holly patted his cheek. "What's going on?"However, Bryce didn't
Looking at the man in Holly's embrace, Abelin turned his attention back to his phone. He asked inquisitively, "Who are you?"The person on the other end of the line was filled with anger. "I'm Bryce. I called her phone, but it was switched off."Abelin replied honestly, "She lost her phone.""Where is she right now?" Bryce questioned indifferently.After Abelin told him the villa's address, Bryce hung up.Abelin once again glanced at his phone before looking toward the dazed-looking Holly. "Holly, I think this man might not be Bryce."Holly shook her head. "You don't need to comfort me.""I just got a call from Bryce. He's on his way here."Holly thought he was lying and refused to believe him. When Abelin wanted to pull her away from the corpse, Holly got triggered and pushed him away. "Don't touch him! He'll be in pain!"Seeing Holly in such a dazed and abnormal state, Abelin felt a sense of pity for her.A tall figure emerged from the door about 45 minutes later. He was we
Abelin wanted to follow through with the protocol, but Holly refused.Realizing they weren't locals, the police decided to let them be. Thus, Abelin sent Holly and the corpse back to a villa their family seldom stayed in.Upon arriving at the villa, Holly did nothing but hold onto the bloodied man dazedly. Her heart felt heavy and chaotic. She was filled with regret and self-blame.Did she regret breaking up with him? The answer was no. Instead, she regretted not being firm enough with her decision. If she had been more resolute and didn't give him any hope of reconciling, he wouldn't have flown to Calria to find her. Correspondingly, he wouldn't have gotten into a car accident and died.Death was such a dreadful word. Bryce was gone, forever disappearing from this world. Holly would never hear his voice or see his smile and face. It was all gone.She would never see him again. She would rather he had lived, no matter who he ended up with in the future. She just wanted him to
The driver pressed the pedal, made a U-turn, and accelerated. When Holly arrived at the address Tobin sent, she saw two deformed cars at the crash scene. However, she didn't find anyone there.Holly's heart skipped a beat. She could only call Tobin repeatedly. However, the call didn't go through.Bryce and the others didn't own a car, only renting one after they got off the plane. Thus, Holly didn't know which car belonged to them.The driver continued driving a bit further until they came upon a collision between a car and a truck. The car's front end was completely obliterated. The driver was cut in half at the waist, and the person in the back seat was so badly mangled that his face was unrecognizable.A loud roar echoed in Holly's mind as it went blank. Her gaze fell on the man's blood-soaked suit. This was the deep-colored suit that Bryce always wore. The man had long legs. The wrist that was hanging out of the car wore a Patek Philippe Celestial watch.Holly remembered the
The moment Bryce reached Calria and got off the plane, he received a call from an unknown number. He took the call with furrowed eyebrows. "Hello. Who are you?"Zenia fumed. "I'm Zenia. Holly and Abelin's wedding is today. Your woman snatched away the man I loved!" She hung up the call after that.Bryce didn't believe her. He tapped into his messages, and several wedding photos came into view. Although the images were not high resolution, one could at least make out the newlywed's features.The groom wearing a suit had striking facial features, and Bryce recognized him as Abelin. Meanwhile, the woman was dressed in a fitted floor-length gown and wore a white veil. Under the thin veil, Bryce could make out her defined features. The woman was none other than Holly.Bryce felt like he had been struck by lightning. His mind went blank, and the hand holding the phone turned cold.He could feel his heart sinking and his blood going cold. Instantly, he felt he got toyed and betrayed
Michelle was gravely ill, with her vision and hearing failing. Thus, they should be able to deceive her.While Abelin let out a sigh of relief, Merope threw daggers at him. She couldn't believe he was stupid enough to let go of such a good opportunity. She wondered why someone as smart as her would have such a dumb son.As it was almost time for the wedding ceremony, Merope wheeled the sickly Michelle out. Michelle's complexion seemed better than a few days back, perhaps due to the joyful event or the effects of terminal lucidity. Her dull eyes were shining when she saw Abelin and the fake bride on the red carpet.Michelle pursed her lips and asked Merope, "Is he really getting married to Holly?"Merope replied unwillingly, "Yes.""Bring me over to have a look," Michelle ordered. When Merope wheeled her over to the fake bride, Michelle took her reading glasses from her pocket with trembling hands.Abelin held his breath as Michelle eyed the fake bride up and down. He was fear
Merope pleaded earnestly, "Abel, your grandmother is on her last breath. Please try to fulfill her last wish for her."Abelin didn't seem to reject this plan as much as before. "Wedding arrangements are already in place, and I've notified a couple of cousins. I'll try to make the entire wedding as genuine as possible."Merope was overjoyed. "Why did you suddenly change your mind? Is Holly the bride?""No. I found a woman who looks quite similar to her. Grandma is old and has blurry eyesight. I doubt she'll recognize her."Merope rebuked, "Your grandma isn't blind!""Well, that's all." Abelin then hung up the call.…Three days later, many relatives gathered at the Gabelman residence. The brightly decorated courtyard was filled with people. Abelin hired a professional wedding team in advance, making sure the officiant, red carpet, circular arch, fresh flowers, and bridal bouquet were all in place. A professional violin team was also playing the wedding march.Although it was a
Abelin called Priscilla's bodyguards, and they arrived at the Calria police station together.The bodies were stored in the morgue. Since they weren't Calrians, the police couldn't find any information on them or confirm their identities.However, they were sure that the two bodies had something to do with Priscilla because one of the bodyguards left a long scratch mark on one of the culprit's arms. At that moment, the mark was rotten due to being submerged in the water. The skin was peeling, and it was a horrifying sight.Clearly, the person behind the culprits was worried they might get caught and expose their employer's identity. So, someone was sent to silence them right away. It was easy for someone like them to kill a person.After giving a statement, the police told Abelin that they were going to do an autopsy on the bodies. Once they had news, they would call him again.After coming out of the police station, Abelin got into his car and called Bryce. "The two guys who hu