Meanwhile, Yvonne and the rest drove back to Hope Health Services.At the entrance, Otto walked over to them. "How's the situation?"Yvonne shook her head.Otto understood what she meant. Mark was such a cautious person; he wouldn't let his tracks be uncovered."Don't worry too much. At least now you're sure he's in the industrial area."Yvonne nodded. She seemed a little tired. She said nothing more and walked past Otto.Stephen followed behind her. When he passed Otto, he paused for a while and looked at the latter.Otto nodded a little but avoided Stephen's gaze. Once the two left, Otto turned to look at them with a conflicted look in his eyes.…That night, Yvonne was in the living room playing house with Britney. Although she was smiling, one could still see how exhausted she was.Elvin seemed to have noticed it. He placed his book down and walked over to Britney. "I'll play with you."Britney was surprised. She looked at Elvin with wide eyes. "Really?" She recalled t
The next afternoon, Yvonne received news that the man who infiltrated the oil refinery had come around.Yvonne immediately put her work aside and headed to his ward.In the ward, the doctor had just finished doing a series of checkups on the man. The doctor turned around, only to see Yvonne rushing inside. He nodded and greeted her before leaving.The man in bed heard voices and opened his eyes with difficulty. "M-Ms. Y."The man's eyes were so swollen that he only managed to open them a little, but Yvonne could still see how apologetic he looked."I'm sorry I returned in such a state. I've embarrassed you.""Don't say that." Yvonne walked closer to the bed. "You've done well. I'll take over from here. All you need to do is get better."She pulled over a chair and gently asked, "How do you feel right now?""I'm good." Although the man looked like he was seriously injured, his vital parts weren't hurt. He was in a good mood. At least, his mind was clear."If you have any questi
Late at night, the lights in the rooms were still brightly lit. The sounds of taps on the keyboards and clicks on the mouse didn't stop.In order to find out where the truck was quickly, Otto personally supervised his staff. He held a cup of coffee and paced around, looking at the screens of the computer one after the other. Without realizing it, he had finished his cup of coffee.Suddenly, his phone rang.He took his phone out to have a look. He headed out of the control room, threw the empty cup in the bin, and picked up the call.Calbert said, "I heard one of Yvonne's men had been badly beaten up.""Hmm." Otto was by the windows in the corridor. He looked out at the night view. "Aren't you busy dealing with Sloan? Why do you still have the time to worry about Hope?""I'm not that busy. I still have time to think about you guys."Calbert was at a departure terminal in the airport. He looked at Ashley's parents and sighed. "The Webbs really like to travel. They don't feel tir
"Pass me the map." Upon hearing the order, Benji immediately handed the map to Cory. He circled Hope Health Services on the map with a red marker.At that moment, they realized that, in just a short week, they had gone further and further away from Hope. If they wanted to go back there, they would need to take a flight for at least a day and a night.Benji hesitantly expressed his concerns. "Cory, do you think that something has happened over where Mark is?"Cory said nothing. He looked at the map for a while. At that point, even if something were to happen to Mark, he wouldn't be back in time.Besides, Ashley's parents were much more important than Mark. Cory couldn't just turn away right now.After giving it some thought, his gaze became sharp. Since he was already there, the only thing he could do was capture Calbert himself and use that to explain things to Mark."We'll press on and go after them." Cory scrunched the map up tightly. His gaze gleamed fiercely. "We can't le
When the plane landed, Cory received a photo from an unknown number. This time, he had anticipated the photo.Cory didn't think much about it. After finding out the location of the photo, he rushed over there with his men.He was anxious. When he saw Ashley's parents posing for the camera by the side of the road, he was finally relieved.He got out of the car and quickly walked over to Ashley's parents. He called out to them, "Dad, Mom."When they heard his voice, they turned around to see Cory and his group of men. They looked alarmed.Ashley's father, Nolan Webb, took one step forward, protecting his wife, Nina, behind him. He looked at Cory sternly. "What are you trying to do? Is it not enough that you killed our daughter? Are you trying to kill us too?"Cory stopped in his tracks. He looked awkward. "N-No. I-I'm just …"Halfway through, he hesitated. He couldn't let them know that his sworn rival was messing with him. That would just mean he had caused trouble for them.He
"I'm sorry," Cory apologized sincerely before pulling Jane away and leaving.Although others might not be able to see it, Jane could clearly sense that Cory was trying hard to keep his emotions at bay. His grip on her was so tight that her bones felt like they were about to be crushed.Jane was in so much pain that she furrowed her brows. She almost tripped a few times. Cory threw her in the car. He didn't even look at her as he turned around and left.Jane was infuriated. She yelled, "Cory Sloan, if you're so great, go and talk to them! What's the point of bullying me? I was the one standing up for you—"Benji frantically went over and covered her mouth. "Fuck! Stop talking! Are you trying to get me killed too? "Those people are Ashley's parents. Cory never speaks to them rudely. How dare you try to reason with them? They even misunderstood who you are."Benji was almost in tears. He utterly regretted bringing Jane there. "If I had known that this would happen, I wouldn't hav
"I'll have to hang up." Otto hung up and quickly headed over to his subordinate. "What's going on?"The subordinate pointed at the truck on the computer screen. "This is the truck. It headed north after coming out of the oil refinery. Then, it made rounds around the industrial area. In the end, it entered this abandoned factory."The industrial area had complex roads, not to mention the constant trucks going in and out. The trucks all looked the same too.It was really challenging to locate one specific truck and trace its movement. That was why they had worked through the entire night before they finally managed to locate their target.Otto patted the subordinate on the shoulder. "Great! You've done well. I'll make sure to reward you for this.""Thank you, Mr. Carrington!"Then, the subordinate cropped the clips and pieced them together to form a complete route for Otto. Once he got in the thumb drive, Otto immediately headed out to look for Yvonne. He had just opened the door
After Stephen left, Otto looked out of the window in thought for a long time. In the end, he still sent a message to Yvonne."We've found out where the oil is being transported to, but Mr. Anderson took the thumb drive away."After sending the message, he held his phone and sighed. He didn't know if what he had done was right or wrong.…Yvonne was sleeping lightly. When her phone vibrated, she woke up right away. She reached for her phone. She squinted her eyes, finding it hard to adjust to the sudden brightness.When she saw the message, she immediately sat up. She replied, "Stephen found out all about it?""Hmm. He even said not to tell you."When she received Otto's reply, she tugged her hair in disappointment. Sure enough, nothing got past Stephen. He was also probably thinking the same thing as her. He must have planned to take the risk alone. Yvonne smiled helplessly. How could she possibly agree to it?"Give me the address."Soon, Otto sent the address to Yvonne. H
A light breeze blew by in the courtyard. Agatha slowly recounted the past.Back then, Daniel and his wife, Katherine, had just had Mark. The entire Carrington family had been celebrating.They had doted on Mark and taken him wherever they went.That day, they had headed out. Before they'd known it, Mark had been taken away.Just when Daniel and Katherine had been on the brink of losing it, they had received a call from the kidnapper to bring the ransom to a specific spot.They had gotten the money and driven there without any hesitation. No one had thought that they would ever return after that. Even Mark had disappeared.When Agatha finished recounting this, her cup of tea had already cooled.She wiped her tears away. She said through a catch in her throat, "Katherine was hugging the bag of money tightly until the moment she passed away, as though she were hugging you."Mark furrowed his brows. Now that he'd heard the truth about Daniel and Katherine, he should have felt pain
As Yvonne left the room, she could tell that Stephen's mood was much better.She looked at him. "Are you thinking of something nice?""No." Stephen looked at Yvonne with a rare twinkle in his eyes."Let me take you to breakfast." Before Yvonne could respond, he took her hand and led her to the elevator.Thinking about how he'd stood outside her room the entire night, Yvonne decided to let him hold her hand.Then, her thoughts drifted to Otto. Somehow, she had a bad feeling.…At the same time, Mark was in the courtyard of Carrington Mansion. He sat next to Agatha and poured some tea for her.He handed her a cup of hot tea. "Great-Grandma, try this."When he noticed that Agatha had no reaction, he called out to her once more. "Great-Grandma?""Huh?" Agatha came to her senses. She looked at Mark in confusion. "What is it?""You've been distracted since yesterday. Are you thinking of something?" Mark asked.Agatha shook her head. "Nothing." Then, she picked up her teacup and
Yvonne stood by the door of the bedroom and looked at Otto, who was looking out of the window in a daze on the bed.The sun shone on his face. He looked quite hungover and had a sickly pale face.Yvonne hesitated for a while before saying gently, "Mrs. Jenner called me last night. She's worried about you."Otto didn't respond.Yvonne went in closer and added, "She said that you called her and asked about your father. She found it strange."Mr. Carrington, why did you suddenly think about your father? Did Mrs. Carrington Senior bring him up yesterday?"All Yvonne got was silence.Luckily, she was patient. She sat on the couch and followed Otto's line of sight. Tiny dust particles were floating among the sunbeams. Yvonne also fell into a daze as she watched them float about.Suddenly, Otto asked, "Have you ever felt like your world was falling apart?""Hmm?" Yvonne was confused. "For example?""I mean, like the person that you trust turns out to be different from what you'd t
The next morning, Yvonne opened her door to see Stephen standing outside. She was caught off guard."What is wrong with you this morning? Why didn't you knock…"While talking, Yvonne noticed that Stephen was still wearing the same clothes as the night before. She furrowed her brows and asked, "Don't tell me you didn't leave last night? Have you been standing outside this door all this while?""Hmm." Stephen looked at Yvonne intently. "I thought you would've figured it out quickly."Yvonne was speechless, but she thought to herself that she'd slept like a baby the night before.She smiled at him. "Figure what out?" She noticed Stephen frowning as though he were on the brink of losing his temper.She quickly added, "I-I mean, you have to give me a hint, right? I've thought about it the entire night, but I still don't understand. My brain isn't functioning well."Stephen asked suspiciously, "You've been thinking about it the entire night?""Yes, which is why I didn't look for yo
"If I hadn't come to find you tonight, you probably wouldn't tell me anything about what happened tonight, would you?" Stephen asked in retort.It wasn't a big deal, as long as they returned safely. Yvonne wondered why she needed to report this to him.But she still smiled. "It's late. How could I disrupt your rest? It would've been the same if I told you about it tomorrow morning, right?"Stephen sniggered. "Yvonne, you still don't know where you've gone wrong."He suddenly went in closer to her. Yvonne instinctively retreated until her back was up against the wall. She glared at him."What on earth is wrong with you? I've already said that I would've told you tomorrow morning—"A punch went past Yvonne and landed brutally on the wall.Yvonne was a little stunned. She looked into Stephen's eyes and furrowed her brows. "Stephen, I don't want to quarrel with you for no reason. "Mrs. Carrington Senior went to look for Otto today. Calbert couldn't reach him the entire day, so he
Jane returned to the private room, distracted.She sat down next to Cory. She looked at him as he reached his hand out to her in confusion.Cory furrowed his brows and asked unhappily, "Where's the wine?""Wine… Yes! Wine!" Jane came to her senses. She was just about to get up when Cory pulled her back.He grabbed her by her chin and forced her to look at him. "What happened when you went out?""N-Nothing."Cory tightened his grip. Jane furrowed her brows in pain. "I-I… I saw Yvonne. She told me that she and Stephen got remarried.""What?" Cory relaxed his grip a little. "They got remarried?""Hmm.""So, what?" He had no intention of letting her go, and he looked at her sharply. "Does it bother you so much that Stephen got remarried?"Jane looked at Cory frantically. "Cory, what do you mean by that?""What do I mean? You know what I mean."Cory went in closer. His tone turned icy. "You used to pursue Stephen. Now that you know he's gotten married, you're in this shitty mood
Yvonne turned around to see Jane smiling at her ambiguously. She furrowed her brows. How were they always bumping into each other?Jane crossed her hands in front of her chest and leaned against the wall. She swept her gaze at Calbert and Otto. "Two guys and one woman. You sure know how to have fun!"Calbert instantly snapped, "What the hell are you talking about?""Why are you being so fierce? Did I hit the nail on the head?" Jane snickered. "Two guys and a woman came out of a private room in the middle of the night. Anyone would come to the same conclusion. We're all adults. There's no need to pretend to be innocent.""You—" Calbert was about to go up to Jane, but Yvonne stopped him."Since Ms. Ford is here, I'm guessing so is Cory?" Yvonne smiled, yet her smile didn't reach her eyes. "If you cause a scene here and this bar gets raided, guess who'll be the ones walking out here alive?"Jane's expression turned ugly. "Are you threatening me?""It's just a kind reminder." Yvon
Calbert and Yvonne managed to track Otto's car to a bar, thanks to the information they'd gotten from his staff. Otto's car was right outside the bar.Calbert looked at the neon sign and furrowed his brows. "Why is Otto here? Did what Mrs. Carrington Senior said really hit him so badly that he has to drown himself in alcohol?"Yvonne said nothing and headed directly inside the bar."Wait up for me!" Calbert went after her. He subconsciously protected her from all the drunk patrons.The lighting in the bar was dim. Many of the patrons were drunk and having fun.Yvonne and Calbert walked around the booth area, but Otto was nowhere to be found. They pulled a server over to ask if there was a patron by the name of Otto Carrington who had reserved a private room.Coincidentally, the server had just taken two bottles of wine to Otto's room. So, he led them to the private room.Calbert tipped the server before opening the door and entering. The entire room reeked of alcohol.He looked
After Agatha left, Otto stood in the same spot without moving.A long time later, Zac entered the office. He looked at Otto's back and asked quietly, "Mr. Carrington, will you still see the client?""No." Otto sounded heartbroken.Zac didn't dare ask further questions. He gently closed the door and reminded the secretary that no one was to disturb Otto.In the office, Otto was alone. He slowly walked over to the couch and slumped into it. His mind was in a mess."Alexander was the one who planned the kidnapping back then."Agatha's words rang in his mind for a long time.Alexander's young face appeared in Otto's mind, smiling at him affectionately."Otto! Amazing! Yes! Just like that!""You're amazing at badminton! You're going to make the country proud! I'm going to be so proud of you!""Otto, my son!"Memories of his interactions with Alexander flashed across his mind at that moment.Otto couldn't imagine that such a loving father would do such an absurd thing. Alexander