Soon, Alexander reached the gate of the Rollins’ residence. He gazed at the closed gate and fell into deep thought while sitting in the car and tapping on its door. He looked like he was waiting for something.A while later, his phone beeped twice. He took it out, saw a message, and thoughtfully scrolled through it.…Although Mike promised to work with Rhea, he did not let his guard down. He knew how cunning she was, and she would not let down her guard as well—after all, they were just using each other.However, he was curious about the trump card Rhea had mentioned. He did not believe the “boss” was it.Therefore, for the past two days, besides keeping up with the updates he received and holding the fort at the research facility, he had been stalking Rhea. He needed to know what she was doing.Still, he discovered nothing. More accurately, he saw how cruel Rhea was. Besides the laboratory, she had gone to the secret room to torture the boss for the past two days.Although Mik
Mike kept following Rhea but had not detected anything unusual until he went around the city for the second time.‘She doesn’t seem to be trying to get rid of me. Did she…notice me following her?’The car before him suddenly sped up as he thought of that. Then he floored the gas pedal without thinking and gave chase. The two cars raced along the street in the quiet night.At that moment, Mike was almost sure Rhea knew someone was following her and that she had intentionally wandered in circles. After realizing that, Mike no longer bothered to stay unnoticed and soon caught up with her car.Suddenly, Rhea began to slow down.However, Mike maintained his speed and overtook her car. He made a sharp turn, and his car swung into position before hers.Rhea responded swiftly and braked, just in time to stop her car from crashing into his.Mike opened the car door, stepped out, and marched over.Rhea leisurely stared at him while remaining seated in her car. Although Mike could not see
Mike was surprised. He furrowed his brows and looked her up and down, seemingly trying to decide whether or not to trust her.Rhea placed her arm on the car window frame and stared at him with a huge smile as if daring him to come with her.However, Mike suspected she had an ulterior motive, so he glanced at her car, then looked over his shoulder at his.‘This place is remote; few might notice my car if I abandon it here. Rhea calculates almost every step she makes. She intentionally led me here and might’ve even expected me to stop her.’“Why? Are you afraid?” Rhea tapped her steering wheel and said, “Forget it then! Just remember that it’s a one-time offer, got it? Bye!”She waved, started her car, and reversed it, seemingly preparing to leave.“Wait a minute!” Mike could not bother if it were a trap. After all, he had been stalking her for two days, so he could not give up now. He knew it would be harder to find out what she had been doing if he did.‘Rhea knows I’ve been sta
Mike naturally caught up. He was curious, eager to know what secrets Rhea still held. Upon entering, Mike found himself in a narrow passage that was not particularly long, giving the impression it was not part of the initial building.The two arrived in a small room after walking to the passage's end. Although not significant, the place was spacious enough to accommodate a few people. Only one person was inside, blindfolded and bound.Even so, Mike recognized the person at a glance. “He’s…”Rhea placed her finger to her lips, gesturing for him to keep quiet.Mike was flabbergasted and looked at her in astonishment. He wondered how she managed to bring the person here and thought she was far too brave for her own good.Rhea remained silent, watching the person for a while before turning and walking out. Meanwhile, Mike hesitated, glanced at the person, and then at Rhea’s retreating figure. After some contemplation, Mike decided to chase after her.He kept pace with her, and the tw
Mike took a deep breath to calm his shaken heart. "Rhea, I won't participate in your madness. You can do as you please!"He was about to leave when he heard Rhea’s voice behind him, “Mike Corden, do you think you still had the option to get off this ride once you entered my car?”“I’ve already gotten out of it.” Mike turned to look at her, fully aware of what she meant. Being in the car meant something entirely different. Still, he feigned ignorance, knowing he would also be insane to participate in her madness."I don't care whether you truly don't understand or are pretending not to. Anyway, now that you know, there’s no opportunity to refuse!" Rhea spoke coldly, her expression becoming eerie.Mike met her cold gaze. As the two were at a standstill, the garage door suddenly made a sound, grabbing their attention. Rhea immediately reached for her waist, turning to the garage entrance warily, while Mike remained motionless.The garage door slowly opened, and a figure appeared at t
Rhea stood behind her mother, silently watching her figure with deep, enigmatic eyes."He is my colleague," Rhea spoke calmly, "He’s aware of this situation too.""Colleague?" Maria turned to look at her daughter. She was uncertain and somewhat skeptical.Maria had been living in pain since Rhea faked her death. The former only regained her courage to continue living when her daughter returned. Maria followed her daughter’s instructions without question since her return.Whatever her daughter said, she obeyed. Maria had no other desires as long as her daughter was content. Nothing else mattered to Maria anymore."Yup." Rhea nodded, looking at Mike. "This is my mom. Since you're here today, you're already an accomplice. Do you think you can still stay out of this?"Mike hesitated. He did not want to get involved but seemed trapped between a rock and a hard place. After a moment of thought, he decided to bring the situation under control.He took a deep breath and looked at Maria.
Maria became nervous when Rhea said they were about to leave. “You’re leaving so soon? I haven’t even had a chance to talk to you much. Oh, I had someone prepare the kale soup for you and…”Before she could finish, Rhea impatiently interjected, “I already told you there’s no need for such things. I don’t have time to have soup. I have important matters to tend to. Don’t you understand?!”Her voice almost turned into a roar due to her frustration. Maria was shocked and stood there, not knowing what to say.Mike observed the situation and said, “Indeed, we have important things to do. You can save the kale soup for later.”His words seemed to ease Maria as her expression softened, and she repeated, "Yes, yes, you can have it later. I'll save it for you, and you can have it when you return!"Rhea was somewhat surprised that Mike helped defuse the situation. She glanced at him briefly but showed no gratitude. Instead, she waved and said, "All right, we're leaving. Take care of him. If
Mike felt a sharp object pressing against his waist. Although he could not see it, he knew it was unpleasant.Mike hesitated momentarily and cleared his throat. Then he answered the call and put it on speakerphone without a second thought, “Hello, what’s the matter? Is there any news from Lily? Did she find the person? Did she locate the organization? Has she rescued my son?”A series of questions followed, leaving no time for Alexander to catch his breath. There was a moment of silence from the other end of the phone."Are you going to say anything?" Mike's voice sounded irritable.Rhea shot him a warning look, and her grip on him tightened slightly. Mike felt the sharp object, seemingly piercing through his clothes. He instinctively tried to move away, but she moved faster and pressed him down firmly.Finally, Alexander spoke, "Where were you just now?"That one question instantly made the atmosphere in the car extremely tense.Mike looked at Rhea. He noticed her scrutinizing