The man was reading the news. He lifted his cup when his servant leaned to his ear. “Master Cameron is back, sir.”The man hummed and finished his tea slowly. He raised his head just in time to catch a dashing young man striding into his courtyard with his hands on his back, who raised his brow and hollered, “Miss me yet, pops?”The man placed a cover on his teacup and frowned. “Forgot your manners now that you’ve been seeing the world for a while?”His attention drifted to Nollace standing behind him, and he froze. He turned back to the papers and rose to his feet suddenly, grumbling, “God! I gave you one job, brat. I told you to make money, but the only currency you’re good at is trouble, isn’t it? You keep bringing freaks home!”Nollace narrowed his eyes but did not say anything.The youth circled behind the man and started massaging the latter’s shoulders. “Whoa! Calm down, Dad. I saved him while I was at the sea, okay? You told me nobody sane and good would think saving a lif
Naturally, the Skull Club had no problem working with Donald. Their feud was with his father several decades ago, not the son. Better yet, Donald loved raining money—he simply favored power more than wealth. If burning a hole through his wallet meant making friends in high places, then he would go through with that without batting an eye. There was truth to his method. Had he been even a little more frugal, his entertainment business would have never flown this high. Who was the Skull Club to refuse his overgenerous offer of money?The Skull Club’s assistance and his identity as Matthews Sr.’s son allowed him to run to the Eastern Islands. There, he revealed who he was—instead of lying low—to secure a haven. As long as he remained within the Islands, the police would be powerless to catch him. Nollace flashed a perfunctory smile. “You didn’t help him?”Sunny set his cup on the table. “I helped Matthews Sr. because he’s a greedy pig at worst. He was never a murderer. He never kill
The men moved aside, revealing a path toward the ship. “It’s time to board your ride, ma’am. The ship sets sail 15 minutes later.”Sandy was more than excited to take up the offer. The men led her to her bedroom before immediately asking, “Sorry for the inconvenience, but please pass your phone to us, ma’am.”Sandy was confused. “Why?”“Mr. Matthews worries that someone might have bugged your phone to find out where he is. It’s pertinent that you switch your phone off and hand it to us before we reach the Eastern Islands.”The woman hesitated, but she remembered how cautious Donald was and obliged. The liner left the pier. The shore seemed to be retreating away while Sandy paced in her room. She felt strangely uneasy. She opened the door and walked out to the corridor before making her way to the deck.Two men appeared to be talking to each other while smoking, but Sandy quickly realized that none of them were her previous escorts. They did not look like Orasians at all.She ha
The sea, especially within a 10-odd-mile radius where the eyes could see, was practically endless. Even a swimmer would find their strength steadily evaporating as the hope of seeing land or rescue, along with the warmth of their body, were slowly chipped away by the claws of icy water. Without ample preparations and gear, death was a surety.Two bodyguards yanked Sandy by her arm with their dear life, but the obstinate mule kicked up a rough fight. Beads of sweat bathed her hands before rolling down the arms.Colton rushed to the railing and bellowed, “Are you suicidal!?”Sandy gave out a sheer, mirthless laugh. “I'd rather die than see you people gloat!”Shock jolted through Colton. “Wait—”The woman pried her arm out of his grip with all her might. The force knocked her off balance, and she toppled, plunging straight into the sea below. The water swallowed her. It was then that several speedboats emerged from a distance. Two helicopters circled above the sea, inching close
”Bit of a waste of her several days’ worth of tears now that we know Nollace is still alive, right?” Waylon finished.Colton rose to his feet. “I better get to the office.”His brother considered him. “How’s Freyja holding up?”Colton paused in his tracks. His tone was hard to decipher when he asked, “What’s with the concern?”Waylon chuckled. “I thought it’s quotidian for a brother to care about his sister-in-law’s wellbeing.”Colton told him she was fine before leaving the mansion altogether.Somewhere in the distance, atop a quiet lake, a rustic gazebo overlooked its tranquil water. Nicholas held a fishing rod in his hand and a coffee mug in the other. Nearby, a modest array of food was spread across the table. Bodyguards guarded the gazebo from a few steps away, making sure that no one would disturb their peace. Daisie propped her chin on the thick of her palm. She had been sitting quietly on her spot for more than half an hour by now, yet she had never seen her fishing rod
Daisie recalled something and pouted. “If he’s safe, why hasn’t he contacted me or returned?”Didn’t he know how worried she was? She really thought that she would never see him again.Waylon sighed. “He wouldn’t feel safe to be with you as long as Donald is alive.“Daisie, Nollace pays a lot of attention to details. He wouldn’t put his life in danger if he wasn’t sure. He wants to be with you, so he’ll have to remove all obstacles first. You have to trust him.”Daisie looked down.She knew what was on Nollace’s mind. He would always protect her. No matter what he did, even if he had his flaws, he had never hurt her. She didn’t need to love a perfect man as long as it was Nollace.Nicholas tossed the bait into the water, which started a ripple and slowly said. “That child was very lucky.”Waylon chuckled. “He is. How do you even escape when you’ve been pulled underwater? Mr. Southern even saved him.”“Mr. Souther?” Nicholas paused and squinted while he searched his memory. “He’
Nollace looked up. “Mr. Southern.”He was wearing riding gear with brown boots and was carrying a red horsewhip that looked brilliant under the sun. He looked skinny, his waist and shoulders looked different from other men, and even though he was 5’7’’, he looked weak. He played with the horsewhip while looking at the crowd. “If you want to join in, I could get them to teach you something, but you might not be able to handle it.”Nollace smiled and rolled up his sleeves, then walked down the stairs. “If you’re willing to teach, I’m willing to learn. I don’t mind learning more.”Cameron crossed his arms and squinted. This man from Yaramoor was keen on learning. When the students saw Cameron walking over, they stopped. “Sir.”Cameron waved his hand and said, “This is No—”“Neal Beck.” Nollace cut him off and calmly said, “My name.”Cameron realized that Nollace didn’t want to expose his identity, so he played along. “Alright, Mr. Beck would like to learn from you. I hope you sh
Cameron slowly drank his tea and chuckled. “They’re just an organization that’s under the Southern Clan. As long as we keep an eye on their interaction with Puzo, we don’t need to pay attention to a girl.”The butler felt glad.All those years, Cameron had grown more into how Sunny was when he was young. He would be able to take over the family soon. However, something came to his mind, and he quietly sighed.If Cameron’s real identity was exposed, the Southern Clan might have to face some tribulations because Cameron wasn’t who people thought he was. At Bassburgh, at the Goldmann mansion…Nolan placed down the documents and raised his brows at Waylon. “You’re going to the East Islands too?”Waylon nodded. “I heard that Aunt Saydie was going over to visit the Southern Clan, and I’d like to meet the hero of Southeast Eurasia, Sunny Southern.”Nolan squinted and knocked his knuckle on the desk. “That’s a messy place and out of our scope. The underground gangs of Ora have power th
“Daisie.” Leah and Morrison walked up to her with wine glasses. “You look so pretty today.”“Thank you,” Daisie said with a smile.Leah lifted her wine glass. “I propose a toast. Morrison and I wish you a happy marriage.”Daisie clinked glasses with her. “Same goes for you and Morrison.”After the toast, Cameron walked up to Daisie with Waylon. Behind them were Freyja, Colton, Maisie, and Nolan.Maisie raised her hand and caressed her on the cheek. “You were great earlier today.”She giggled. “Really?”Nolan added, “You’ll forever be our dazzling pride, so yes.”Daisie grinned as if she was still the little princess of the family.Nollace came over. “Dad, Mom, a toast to the both of you. Thank you for letting me have Daisie’s hand.”“Consider yourself lucky.” Nolan snorted softly, picked up his wine glass, and clinked glasses with him. “You’d better treat my daughter well from now on.”Nollace glanced at Daisie. “Don’t worry. She’ll forever be my one and only.”Maisie chuck
In order to make way for the wedding carriage, other vehicles had been forbidden from accessing the route from the palace to the cathedral.Daisie looked out of the carriage—the streets were crowded with citizens, and they were all there to witness this grand scene.Nollace, sitting on the side, was wearing a double-breasted dark blue military jacket. He looked tall and broad, and there were two St. Patrick’s Stars on his epaulets, one on each side, a full set of medals on his chest, and other complicated decorations.He held the back of Daisie’s hand and smiled suddenly. “You have sweaty palms.”Daisie looked back at him and responded with a trembling voice, “I’m nervous.”He lifted her hand and kissed the back of her hand. “I’m here, so don’t be nervous. Just take it easy.”Daisie’s gaze landed on his wedding jacket. “You look nice in this uniform.”Nollace chuckled. “And my bride looks stunning too.”Arriving at the cathedral, Nollace was separated from Daisie. Accompanied b
“By the way, where’s Cameron?” asked Morrison.Waylon replied, “She’s accompanying her father on a stroll. I’m going to go meet them already, so I’ll leave you to yourselves for now. You can do whatever you want with your free time.”After saying that, he got up and left the couple.Morrison shook his head. “He’s changed now that he has a wife.”“You’re speaking as if you haven’t changed.” Leah got up instantly and left the restaurant.Morrison put his cup down and caught up to her immediately. “Hey, why would you leave me behind? Wait for me.”Maisie and Saydie came out of the private room and ran into Nolan and Quincy in the corridor.Quincy nodded. “Mrs. Goldmann.”Maisie stopped in front of Nolan, and Nolan grabbed her by her hand. “Have you finished catching up?”“Of course. Didn’t you want to go to the Hathaways’ villa with Dad in the afternoon?”Nolan smiled. “I was waiting for you. We’re just going over to have a meal together.”Quincy walked up to Saydie’s side and
Daisie grinned from ear to ear. “Then I’ll wear this crown on my wedding day, which can be considered an endorsement for my mom’s jewelry company and design.”Nollace hugged her from behind. “You can do anything as long as you like it.”…The members of the Goldmanns arrived in Yaramoor two days before the wedding and stayed in the hotel arranged by Nollace. The royal family had reserved the entire hotel for receiving distinguished guests from Zlokova who came to attend the wedding.Members from the Bouchers and the Lucases showed up, and Sunny was also present.There were also some familiar faces from the Zlokovian entertainment industry. Hannah, Amy, James, and Charlie, who were close friends with Daisie, all came.Leah and Morrison were also on the invitation list.When Maisie came to the restaurant, the waiter led her into a private room.As soon as she saw the man sitting inside, she smiled and exclaimed, “Godfather!”Strix slowly turned around.She had not seen him for
The rest of the people laughed.The night came, and the entire city was shrouded in a mist of neon light. Daisie and Nollace returned to Taylorton after having their dinner.Her hair was wet as she got out of the shower. Nollace took over her towel and helped her to dry her hair.She sat in front of her dresser and looked at the person behind her through the mirror. There was a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth as she said, “Nolly, I’m really looking forward to our wedding.”“Really?” Nollace gently dried the soft tips of her hair. “I’m looking forward to it too.”“I can say that my life is perfect now, right? Since I can marry and walk down the aisle with the man I love the most.”He laughed out loud and leaned down to her ear. “You know what? All the wishes in my life have come true as well.”Daisie turned her head around. “What are your wishes?”“Marry you, give you a wedding, and have our own kids.”She was stunned. Slowly, her face turned red due to her embarrassme
“Yeah, it’s true,” replied Zephir.“It seems like you’ve finally become more mature after coming back from your vacation.” Naomi patted his shoulder. “I wish you all the best in your future endeavors.” He smiled at her but did not say anything.…Soon, it was the end of the month. Their vacation had come to an end, and they returned to Bassburgh.Maisie and Nolan were waiting for them in the courtyard. After getting out of the car, Daisie ran up to them. “Mommy! Daddy!”She hugged both of them.Nolan petted her head and smiled helplessly. “You’re an adult now. You should stop acting like a kid.”She smiled back at them and said, “But I know I’ll always be your kid in your eyes.”Maisie chuckled and looked at the other people. “It seems like you guys had a lot of fun. Anyway, come in first. We should eat together tonight.”Freyja and Cameron went to look for their kids after they went into the house. Charm and her two cousins were staying in the same room. All of them were sl
Nollace looked at them. “What a coincidence.”“Morrison and I were here earlier than you guys,” said Leah. “We only found out that you guys were here when Daisie posted a photo on her Facebook page.”Daisie pulled Leah to the seat and said, “Then you should stay a few more days with us.”After Morrison took his seat, Waylon introduced him to Freyja and Daisie. “She’s my sister-in-law, Freyja, and she’s my sister. Her name is Daisie.”“I’ve seen them before at your wedding,” said Morrison. “Your sister is my wife’s classmate. She has told me before.”“Since when did I become your wife? There’s a chance I may not marry you in the future,” said Leah.“We’re already engaged. If you don’t want to marry me, who else are you going to marry?” Morrison frowned, causing the crowd to break out in a burst of laughter, save for Daisie.She looked at Leah in disbelief and asked, “Engaged? When did you get engaged, Leah?” Leah cleared her throat and replied, “Well, I forgot to inform you abo
The stall owner said, “$10 for three chances.”“$10 for three chances only? That’s expensive,” commented Freyja.The stall owner raised his head and said, “I’m the cheapest around here. Other stalls offer $15 for three chances.” Daisie tugged at Freyja and said, “Let's just give him the money. It isn't easy for them to set up a stall here anyway, so let's have some fun.”After that, she gave $20 to the stall owner and said, “Please give us six hoops.”The stall owner gave her six hoops. She had her eyes set on a bracelet. Although she knew it was fake, it was rather beautiful. She held a hoop and threw it toward the bracelet.However, she did not get it.She threw another two hoops at the bracelet, but her attempts failed, much to her chagrin. She had only three hoops left.Seeing that Daisie was prepared to give up, Cameron took over the rest of the hoops in her hand and said, “Leave it to me.”She squinted and aimed at the bracelet. After that, she threw the hoop at it an
The night of the old town was silent. The air was filled with nothing but the humming of insects. There was a lamp hanging outside of the tent on the grass. The atmosphere was quiet. Daisie was tossing and turning in the sleeping bag as sleep just wouldn't come to her. Suddenly, an arm appeared across her waist as she was brought into a chest. “What’s the matter? You can’t sleep?”“Yeah…” She buried her head in his chest and said, “I want to go to take a leak, but I’m a little bit scared.”Nollace kissed her forehead and said, “I’ll go with you then.”Both of them came out of the tent. Nollace took a flashlight and led Daisie to a row of trees in the distance. Daisie turned her head and said, “You wait for me here.”Nollace nodded. “Just shout my name if you need anything.”She walked into the forest and stopped in front of a tree not far away from Nollace.After she had done her business, she hastily got out of the forest and held tightly to Nollace’s arm. “Alright, let’s go