The meal went on smoothly. Sam and Caleb cleared all the food while bantering. As they were too full, they continued to sit and chat for a long time in the restaurant.Rebecca didn't even have to ask specifically about her family. She learned a lot from the playful exchange between the two brothers. It turned out that many people were worrying about her.Her parents had been eagerly waiting for her to come home. She even had a brother who was 12 years older than her. She even had uncles, aunts, and cousins.Of course, Sam and Caleb had been the busiest during the time she was away.They traveled far and wide to find her.Come to think of it, if she were in their shoes, would she be willing to spend so much effort searching for her own family?Some parents couldn't even do that, like Benjamin. He would rather have more daughters to marry off to wealthy families than care about their well-being.Rebecca didn't know whether her past self would choose to search for her family, but s
Caleb fell silent.Sam was indeed right.By the time they had returned to the hotel yesterday, it was already midnight. He wanted to wake up and take over Sam's place in case David left with Rebecca.However, his body gave in to exhaustion. When he finally opened his eyes, he saw Sam's message.While the time he woke up might not have been particularly late, the fact remained that he didn't wake up at the time he had planned. He let Sam sit alone by the hotel window all night.If Sam hadn't seen Rebecca leaving the hotel this morning, or if they had both fallen asleep, they wouldn't be talking here now.So, despite Rebecca's reasonable request, Caleb knew it wasn't his place to speak.The atmosphere turned tense at the table.Rebecca dared not speak either, but the disappointed expression on her face was too obvious. It seemed as though she needed a chance to explain herself. Otherwise, this issue might weigh on her forever. Sam stared at her for a while and finally broke the
Handing a hostage back to the kidnappers ...The words hit Rebecca's heart like a bullet. She felt so heartbroken that she couldn't think of anything else.She fell silent for a moment. Then, she struggled to say, "Let's just ... Let's just leave."It wasn't just because of Sam and Caleb. She already saw the manager's swollen face behind the glass.Just two hours ago, the manager politely greeted her and smiled at her when she left. He even asked if she wanted breakfast.Now, it looked like someone had beaten him to a pulp. His face was unrecognizable.What would happen if Sam and Caleb followed her inside? Maybe it was better to just leave right now.Upon hearing her words, Sam and Caleb were shocked. They asked at the same time, "Are you sure?"Rebecca hesitated briefly. She bit her lip and glanced at the hotel lobby where the manager was being beaten up by the men in black suits.She even vaguely saw David approaching the entrance from inside the hotel. Fear began to ov
The sea breeze stopped blowing and the animals and insects grew silent. In this moment of silence, Rebecca watched the man in front of her smile."Who do you want me to be?" His tone now was gentle and persuasive, unlike his sheepish tone from earlier. It was as if he was telling her that he could continue pretending to be Dan if she wished it.However, once the veneer was shattered, it was over. She couldn't turn it into the real thing by pretending. She knew the answer but chose to ask despite it. Now, she had to face harsh reality.Suddenly, Rebecca let out a laugh. She didn't know if she was laughing more at the absurdity of her reality or at her stupidity. Why did she have to come back? None of this would have happened if she left with her brothers earlier. She wondered if it was fate that things turned out this way, and unfortunately, it seemed so.David started to walk toward her. His bodyguards in black suits followed, each step thundering off the cobblestones."Don't co
That's true. How could she be sure? If she ignored what Sam told her about David's evil deeds and just looked at her legs, it was obvious to the kind of person David was. So, how could she be sure that he would keep his word and release everyone if she went to him? Was it worth believing the man who lied to her about being Daniel?Rebecca stopped in her tracks at Caleb's words. Sam immediately added, "Becca, listen to Caleb and come back here. You are not our burden. You never were and never will be. No matter what, Cal and I will never allow you to give yourself up for us."The incident at Tillfort Peaks was a lesson for all. Sam believed he didn't need Rebecca to save him each time. Even if they only had each other, he was certain he'd be able to protect her. If he wasn't able to bring her with him, he still couldn't stay and watch her leave – not when he could stop it. "Come over here, Becca. Don't you trust Sam and I?" Caleb was being extremely careful. His voice was edged wi
"Come back with me and I'll order my men away," David whispered in her ear. He leaned in so intimately that others wondered if something more was going on."I'm not threatening you, nor am I lying to you."Rebecca remained still. David took this opportunity to grab her wrist tightly. It didn't matter how hard she struggled. She couldn't escape him if he wanted her there. Hence, she decided it was better to try trusting him again.Watching the will leave her made David feel joyful again. He signaled his men to step down. The human wall separating Sam and Caleb from each other parted, but still prevented them from rushing David.Although Rebecca didn't turn back, she saw what happened from the corner of her eye and breathed a sigh of relief in her heart. David noticed this and his mood improved. He smiled and said, "You can rest easy now, Ms. Johnson."Rebecca looked up at him and choked between sobs. "There's still someone else.""Someone else?" That was when David turned to loo
"Crazy bastard?" David surprisingly wasn't angered by this. He had been called many different names — a lunatic, the devil, demented …Humans were as such. They labeled others with special words when others behaved in ways that defied common understanding.David didn't see himself as a lunatic. However, he was willing to let it slide if the person labeling him was Rebecca. "So be it. Call me what you, if it makes you feel better."He let go of her hair, his eyes trained downward. He couldn't tell if his words were for Rebecca or for himself. When he looked up again, all he could see was the same uncaring look, with none of the warmth from the previous day to be seen.Since she could see through his pretenses, there was no need for him to continue acting. Moreover, he thought it would be better for him to be his usual self. It would make her feel less disgusted, and he would be happier dropping all pretenses anyway.Rebecca was bewildered. She couldn't figure out the meaning behind
Rebecca turned her head toward the source of the sound with an innocent expression. Her pale face was scarred red because of the napkins. She looked extremely pitiful in this state.David stopped in his tracks and his expression darkened. Rebecca became more afraid when she saw this. Her mind went blank as she watched David approach her. However, her body leaned back against the chair on its own accord when David stopped in front of her and held out his hand to her. Since there was limited space, there was nowhere for her to hide.David didn't continue. His hand halted in mid-air when he saw her avoid him.Although there was no change in his expression, she could still feel that his mood had worsened. Anyone's mood would turn sour at such a blatant display of disgust, what more the high and mighty Mr. Winston.All this while, he was the one who looked down on others, but never the other way round. Rebecca shuddered at the thought. She opened her mouth and tried to find an excus