Percy knew what they were thinking and remained silent. It was not until a while later that Luke finally asked Gordan, "Any ideas?""This area’s buildings are complex, but luckily, I have the floor plan. I came up with a plan, and I made an animation. Here, take a look." Gordan shared his screen with them and showed them his rescue plan.The plan to rescue Pierre was simple and straightforward. They were only going there to rescue Pierre.However, it was a difficult task too, considering the heavy weapons they possessed and the fact that they had Pierre as a burden, which could hold them back.Gordan spent the whole afternoon brainstorming, figuring out how to rescue him.After they finished watching the animation, Gordan asked, "This is my idea. Going in from this point can save a lot of trouble. We can avoid alarming them too.""I think it's a good idea," said Jim. They had also seen the nearby floor plan. Even though the room was messy, it provided Gordan with some convenien
“Even though I hate Pierre, I hope he’s okay.” Nina rested her head on Percy’s chest, feeling the warmth of his body and the strong thumping of his heart.Nina was no saint. The reason why she hoped Pierre was fine was because she did not want the days ahead to be difficult for Percy.Especially when both Karen and Old Master Mallory were concerned about his life.If they failed to save Pierre this time and if something happened to him, Old Master Mallory and Karen would definitely blame Percy. Their days ahead would get harder and harder.Therefore, even though Nina held a grudge against Pierre, she still prayed that nothing bad would happen to him. Percy cupped her face and planted a hot, wet kiss on her forehead.He was destined to not get any sleep tonight.After all, what happened to Pierre was different from anything they had experienced before.Previously, he could personally participate in it while knowing the scores. However, Pierre was being held captive in X City at
As Leroy coughed, tears streamed down. Gordan chuckled. "This cigarette is strong, but it really wakes you up. Don't smoke too much, or you'll get addicted to it. Once you try other cigarettes, you won't be able to get used to it anymore."His smile faded after that. He remembered how Vivian had bought him this brand of cigarettes as he had always looked for excuses to make her angry.He even got angry when the cigarettes he smoked did not taste good enough.A few days later, Vivian handed him this particular brand of cigarettes.She told him that it had a cool taste that most people could not handle, and some could not even tolerate it. Gordan tried smoking the cigarette. He initially found it difficult to smoke. However, the look on Vivian’s face when she thought he would not be able to handle it compelled him to keep smoking it until he became accustomed to it.He was hooked after smoking a few packs of cigarettes. Other cigarettes tasted bland when compared to it. He w
Gordan had no intention of confronting these terrifying members of the Island of Despair. After all, they were armed with guns and grenades. He was a law-abiding citizen who would not bring these things into A City. Plus, Luke's idea was to avoid conflict if possible. After all, the Mallory family would be affected if things escalated.Sometimes, Gordan would feel that Luke was too kind to Percy, to the extent that their close relationship could easily be misunderstood by others. However, both of them had women whom they loved. He sometimes even suspected that there were certain intimacies between them, but he could not think further about it.Gordan pulled a cigarette out of his pocket. This was no ordinary cigarette. It was a kind of drug. The kidnappers had used it to drug Pierre before taking him here. Gordan wanted to see how it would work on them this time.Even though Gordan wanted to go head-to-head with them, Luke reminded him not to cause a disturbance or attra
Seeing that Pierre could figure this much out after seeing Leroy, Gordan knew that Pierre was not a fool.It was his tactics that were brutal.He did not even blink twice about using such dirty tactics to deal with someone.He was even willing to go that far.“What are you blabbering about? Just knock him out and take him away.” Leroy noticed that Pierre’s leg was bandaged and fixed with two pieces of wood.He was actually a cripple now.Even if he decided to follow them, their people would have to carry him on their shoulders like a princess.“Is it really worth wasting my drug on him?” Gordan said as he gave a karate chop to Pierre’s neck, and he instantly fainted.Leroy patted his dizzy head and said, “Why did that move of yours help me blow off steam?”“Why don’t you try?” Gordan joked.“Alright, the police will probably be here soon. Mr. Mallory was right, he must be sent to the hospital. You guys carry him away,” Leroy ordered his men.Two strong men carried the uncons
”Hey, help me push the bed into the X-ray room. I need to see how badly his leg is broken,” Johann ordered.Although it was his friend’s clinic, it was a good thing it had an X-ray room. Otherwise, he would not know exactly what happened to Pierre’s leg.The two of them pushed Pierre toward the direction Johann pointed at.“This is going to be hard. I didn’t expect him to come in with a broken leg. I’m the only one in the clinic, so I can’t operate on him…” Johann said resignedly.Even if the doctors and nurses here were given a day off, so all he could do was help dress Pierre’s wounds.The clinic here did not have the license to perform surgeries, so they would not have any of the tools needed for it either.However, if Pierre went too long without surgery, he might have to get his leg amputated instead of having it just be impaired.Johann was put in a tough spot.“Let’s take an X-ray first. I believe Mr. Mallory will have a solution.” Gordon smirked out of spite. What did P
Percy took it upon himself to drive away alone when he saw that. The other person stayed behind to watch over Pierre.After Pierre was taken away, Johann left too.Gordan and Leroy stood at the clinic's door, staring at each other in confusion."It’s dawn. Can we go back now?" asked Leroy.They could have left after dropping off Pierre at the clinic, but they were worried that someone might have heard the gunshots and called the police. If they went back before dawn, they might get caught by the cops.Even though they were familiar with the surveillance cameras installed around the area, there was always the possibility of a slip-up. They would not be able to explain why they returned at around five o’clock in the morning.Drinking? They did not smell like alcohol.They just arrived? They already rented a house.That was why they decided to wait here until dawn.“I think so. I’ll just tell them we went for a morning jog,” said Gordan. The excuse of going for a morning jog was
"Yes. They’re supposed to pay the ransom today. But everything's already been resolved. Pierre has been rescued. He should be on his way to A City now." Luke did not hide anything from her.Luke decided not to keep anything from her when he noticed how anxious Luca was in the morning. Even though she was not involved in Pierre's matter, she was related to it in some way. Otherwise, she would not have looked so absent-minded. Luke did not want to see Luca upset.Luca was surprised. She did not expect Pierre to be rescued last night. If Pierre was rescued, then Amur would not have to go and collect the ransom today.Luca’s mood became calmer. She was eager to know the details of the rescue operation. "Who saved Mr. Pierre?" asked Luca.“Gordan," answered Luke honestly.Luca was aware that it was Luke’s men who saved him if Gordan was involved in it.Even though Gordan was not solely working for Luke, they had a close relationship, and they would always help each other out."
“Mr. Mallory, won’t you feel guilty if something happens to Nina?” Sue did not understand why he refused to call the police.“It won’t happen.” Percy furrowed his brows as his mind raced to find a solution.Sue was even more confused. “Just because you say it won’t happen, does that mean it won’t? Yes, Madam Mallory is your mother, but Nina is also your wife. If your mother harms your wife, shouldn’t you call the police? Instead of doing that, you’re leaving her in this dangerous situation. I honestly feel sorry for Nina.”Sue had always been straightforward. She thought Percy would protect Nina for life, but seeing him defend Karen at the cost of his wife’s safety, she was deeply disappointed.She felt she was in no position to feel sorry for Nina, but she could not understand Percy’s actions.Percy furrowed his brows. Calling the police was not an option.The Mallory family could not afford this kind of turmoil.If Old Master Mallory found out that he handed his mother over to
Nina trembled when she was touched. Her whole body was shaking.Karen’s touch was icy cold, and when her hand fell on Nina’s face, it carried a chill.“Don’t hurt her!” Percy’s voice was hoarse, his anger barely concealed in his eyes.He was furious but kept reminding himself not to provoke Karen.“Hmph, look at how nervous you are.” Karen's patience wore thin. Without another word, she laid out her conditions. “If you want me to let her go, fine.”“What do you want me to do?” Percy knew the conditions she was about to propose would not be as simple as keeping her out of the psychiatric hospital.It could involve Pierre.Perhaps even the company.Even though Karen had spoken to him about the high hopes she had for him, Percy did not believe a word of it. To her, from beginning to end, the only person who mattered was Pierre.Percy was merely a tool to secure her position in the Mallory family.“See? You still care about this woman. You’ve disappointed me!” Karen glanced at Ni
“Mr. Mallory, I didn’t dare to go in. Nina and your mother are still inside.” After Sue realized that Nina might be in danger, she had been waiting outside, unwilling to leave.She had been planning to rush in with the other employees if she heard Nina scream.Percy's expression darkened. He did not blame Sue for the situation, so he did not say anything. Instead, he quickly walked to Nina’s office door and pushed it open.The sight before him sent a chill through his veins, as though his blood had turned to ice.“You're here?” Karen fixed her eerie gaze on the person who had opened the door. A strange, sinister smile curved at the corners of her lips. She stood behind Nina with a knife tightly gripped in her hand.The sharp blade was pressed against Nina’s neck, already leaving a faint red mark.Sue gasped at the sight and instantly lost her composure.Karen frowned in dissatisfaction, moving the knife slightly and muttering, “Why is there another woman here? Tell her to leave!
“'ll contact someone in A City to investigate,” said Gale.“Let Percy know while you're at it,” added Luke. “He needs to be aware of this.”“Got it.” Gale hurried off to handle the matter.…After taking Gale's call, Percy hung up and stared icily at the middle-aged man standing before him.Under Percy's chilling gaze, the man nervously dabbed at the sweat on his forehead with a handkerchief.“Mr. Mallory, my sincerest apologies…” The man, the director of the psychiatric hospital, had come to personally apologize to Percy today.Karen had escaped.Two days ago, Percy admitted Karen to the psychiatric hospital. After an evaluation, the doctors determined her condition warranted hospitalization, so she was admitted.Even though Karen was against it, given her mental state and with the consent of an immediate family member, the hospital was legally authorized to proceed.Percy had even informed the hospital to take special care of Karen. He had explicitly instructed them not to
When she opened her eyes again, the sky outside had already darkened slightly.Luca mumbled, feeling the warmth beside her. She instinctively curled closer. “What time is it?”“It's a little past five.” Luke gently rubbed her back, offering a quiet comfort to help her feel at ease.Since he could not be there beside her, he could only make these small gestures to bring her some peace of mind.“An entire afternoon just passed like that…” Luca was reluctant to leave at the moment. Her slender fingers lightly pressed against his chest.Luke took her hand in his, bringing it to his lips for a soft kiss, holding it as if it were something precious and tenderly stroking it.Luca's hands had once been delicate and smooth, but during their time in the small villa, they had become much rougher.“You've got calluses.” Luke felt sorry for her.Luca gently traced her finger over his lips, leaning in to plant a soft kiss on him. “It’s just from the needlework and the experiments I’ve been d
Luca walked over to another couch and sat down. “I think I’ll stay here. How about letting Luke come down so that we can all catch up? It’s been a while since we’ve seen each other.”Gordan’s face fell. “Ms. Craw, are you doing this on purpose?”Luca pretended not to know anything. “Doing what on purpose?”Gordan quickly shook his head. “Nothing. Just go upstairs already. Brother Luke’s been waiting for you.”Luca had intended to tease Gordan a little longer, but after not seeing Luke for the past few days, she found herself missing him deeply. Standing up with a smile, she said, “Alright, I won’t tease you anymore. Oh, by the way, Mr. Gale, could you help me pick up a few things? Someone over there asked me to get them, and I couldn’t refuse.”“Sure, no problem. What do you need?” Gale agreed immediately.After handing him the list, Luca turned and headed upstairs.Gale watched Luca leave from behind, nudging Gordan’s arm. “Let’s go. We should leave and give the boss and Ms. Cr
The security guard remained completely unfazed.This was because the village chief was his uncle, and in their tight-knit community, they always stuck together and never favored outsiders.With directions from the people inside the ancestral hall, Hera found the village chief.“You’re the village chief, right?” Hera looked at the man in his fifties in front of her and spoke with an arrogant tone, completely unbothered.“And you are?” The village chief, seeing her attitude, was puzzled. He had no idea whether she was an investor or someone looking to discuss a major partnership to bring development to their quiet village.“It doesn’t matter who I am. I see you have surveillance here, and I need to review your footage,” replied Hera.The village chief was even more confused. “Are you a police officer?”“No.” Hera frowned. She thought reviewing surveillance footage was no big deal. Why was this village chief being so difficult?The village chief gave her a look as if she were a fo
“Wait a little longer. By the way, what kind of ancestral hall is this?” asked Hera.“It's a local family's ancestral hall. I heard it's been designed by the owner of a large company, and now it's also one of the tourist attractions.” The taxi driver was not from around here, so he did not know all the details, but he knew it had become a popular spot. “Now, thanks to the reputation of that boss, many architects come here as one of their reference points.”Hera frowned deeper. What was Luca doing here?The driver suggested, “If you're interested in sightseeing, the attractions inside are pretty good. But for outsiders, they charge an entrance fee. Maintenance costs a lot of money, so they charge tourists from outside.”“I'm not here for sightseeing,” replied Hera, “Don't worry. I'll pay you for however long I stay here. You’ll get your money.”The driver heard that she was paying, and did not press her further and remained quiet.Hera stared at the entrance of the ancestral hall,
Hera let out a cold sneer, feeling that Gerald's apology was not sincere.Hera did not want to press the issue at the moment. She gave him a sharp look. “Come with me.”Gerald knew that Hera was up to something again. If it were a normal order, she would have just said it in the living room. Whenever she called him aside, it meant whatever she had to say could not be overheard by others.Reluctantly, Gerald followed her out.It was midday, and as soon as Hera stepped out of the living room, a wave of heat hit her face.The intense warmth made her feel uncomfortable.Hera got straight to the point, turning to Gerald. “What did Luca say to you just now?”“She just asked me to help keep an eye on the volunteer,” Gerald answered honestly. This was not something that needed to be kept secret.Hera frowned. “Is she going out”Gerald hesitated for a moment, unsure whether to say anything.“I’m talking to you, not the wall. Are you mute?” Hera threatened. “If you lie to me, I’ll te