Rebecca had a good night's sleep. Unlike before, she didn't close all the curtains when she hit the hay. Perhaps, having gotten used to her time on the ferry, she appreciated the soft sunlight filtering through the window during her afternoon naps. Thus, she grew accustomed to having a faint light in the room. After her chat with Georgie, when she went upstairs to rest, Rebecca left the thick curtains partially drawn and covered the inner layer with a light gauze. This way, the room struck a balance between not being overly bright and not too dim. She drifted into a peaceful sleep under these comfortable conditions. There were no chaotic dreams, and she awoke naturally. Upon waking, the room had darkened completely. The moonlight outside filtered through the light gauze and cast a hazy glow. The curtains swayed with the wind. Rebecca didn't rush to get out of bed; instead, she turned to face the window and lay there for a while. Without thinking about anything in pa
As they entered the hotel, Caleb suddenly asked, "Is that the friend you met today? How do you manage to have friends everywhere?" Caleb didn't deliberately look at Georgie, who stood next to the SUV. Instead, he cast a side glance in his direction. Rebecca didn't hide anything either. Without turning her head, she replied, "He works for David. It seems like David's grip on the Winston Group is slipping. So, he's planning to head back to Seardale and wants to take me along." If this were in Chirea, David probably wouldn't have the ability to take her away. Upon her return, setting aside the security situation, just this incident alone would likely trigger another round of changes in her surroundings. David left upon regaining control of the Winston Group. This time, there was no way he could openly return to the Winston Group with the assistance of Mr. Winston Senior. Without the Winston family, he might not have stood a chance against Maxwell in Fairport. In that case,
As Rebecca uttered those words, she looked at Caleb with a smile. Caleb gazed at her seriously for a moment, then chuckled softly, "It's best if you can think like that, Becca." After conveying his thoughts, Caleb didn't linger in Rebecca's room much longer. After picking up his laptop from the couch, he bid farewell and left. "It's getting late; don't forget about the early morning flight. Remember to wake up early. I'll head back to my room to rest. You should get some sleep too." "Goodbye, Caleb." Rebecca waved as she saw him off. Once Caleb left, the room felt somewhat empty. Rebecca strolled to the window and, looking down, spotted the man standing beside the SUV. The crimson flames slowly burned at his fingertips, sometimes bright, sometimes dim. After observing for a while, she expressionlessly closed the curtains. The man on the ground seemed to sense something and looked up at the building. However, he found nothing. The next morning, Rebecca woke up
The environment here, unlike the commercial streets that Rebecca explored last night, had a distinctive local architectural style. Extending as far as the eye could see was a massive square, adorned with numerous white doves near the fountain. Street artists diligently worked on their paintings, and musicians played an array of musical instruments. People casually rested or immersed themselves in the performances. After each performance, children eagerly tossed coins to the musicians while anticipating the next captivating performance. Beyond the colossal circular fountain stood an iconic cathedral. The central clock's hands moved slowly, and the air carried the distant sounds of a wedding march. Perhaps a priest inside the cathedral was officiating a marriage ceremony. Rebecca felt like she had outgrown the age of romantic fantasies about love. Or maybe, having understood various aspects of life, she had lost interest in love. However, in such an atmosphere, listening to
"A deal?" Upon hearing Rebecca's suggestion, Georgie finally displayed a different expression on his face. His perpetually gloomy countenance cracked into a hint of mockery. It was hard to imagine that such an expression could be seen on his face. While Rebecca was surprised, he continued, "Ms. Rebecca, now that we're being open, why resort to such tactics? Or do you doubt your brother's ability to protect you and ensure your safe return? "Is that why you're resorting to these tactics to make me back off?" Rebecca laughed. "What are you talking about? I just hope we can settle this peacefully. There's no need to turn this into a movie-like scene. It's hard to control things in a foreign land in case something happens." If the issue could be resolved peacefully, why resort to violence? Georgie followed them all the way, yet he didn't seem exhausted at all. If anything, she felt more exhausted. Of course, when Rebecca spoke these words to Georgie, she had other thoughts
After landing, Rebecca felt a bit uneasy and hesitated before disembarking from the plane. Reflecting on the past few days of her "journey," she had been on edge. She had even contemplated the worst-case scenario of disappearing from the world. Of course, she had also optimistically considered the possibility of returning home. In her dreams, she envisioned herself as a character from a blockbuster film. She imagined being rescued by superheroes and safely landing, rushing into her parents' arms, and reverting to being a child. However, she had not imagined returning home in this way—having to cooperate with everyone to keep it a secret from her parents. She had to resort to well-intentioned lies to try to alleviate her parents' concerns and ensure their well-being. As she followed Caleb out of the plane and stepped onto the rooftop with a view of Rookfort, Rebecca felt it was still somewhat surreal. Everything seemed like a dream. Even when she saw Albert, her biological
Rebecca didn't forget about Susan, who would come back early.She took an international flight, with a layover in between, but looking at the time, she should have already landed in Fairport.Rebecca had bought Susan a phone before she boarded the plane overseas. She was worried about not being able to contact her if they departed separately. She had bought an international mobile plan for her.After lunch, Rebecca made a video call to Susan.Prior to this, Caleb had told her that there had been progress regarding Susan's situation. They had already found her brother's remains, and as long as they made proper registration, they would be able to successfully bring back his ashes.It was the first good news since returning to the country.She couldn't wait to share the good news with her friends who had accompanied her on this journey.The video call connected.Before anyone appeared on the screen, Rebecca couldn't contain her excitement and said eagerly, "Susan, have you arrived?
After talking to Rebecca, David turned the camera back to Susan.He smiled and said, "Susan, you agree, right?"Susan twisted the corner of her mouth. She attempted to force a smile yet found it incredibly difficult.She could only try her best to keep her composure. She said to Rebecca, "Mr. Winston is very handsome. He… he was also very polite to me. I am not scared at all."Even a fool could tell from her unnatural tone that she was just being polite.Suddenly, Rebecca recalled a phenomenon she had read about on the internet: Stockholm syndrome.Unfortunately, this was not a time to joke around.Rebecca smiled and said, "As long as you're not scared, Susan, that's good. It was his mistake not to inform you before picking you up from the airport. When he comes to Rookfort, I will make him apologize to me, and I will punish him on your behalf."Susan forced another smile.Rebecca no longer wanted to play this game with Susan. So, she turned back to David."So, David, when ar