On the boat, there were fifteen people. This included the captain and the secretary who looked like he couldn't even lift a dumbbell, much less fight. It wouldn't be too hard to deal with them.Jean's voice came from the door, "Mr. Northwood, you don't need to be so wary of me."They turned to look in his direction. He was wearing an Italian suit with his secretary in tow. Right now, he looked completely relaxed and unthreatening."Survival is my priority, which is why I asked you all to come here to talk. I hope you won't follow me around like dogs on a trail."He sat in his seat."Although I have blood on my hands, I have never taken a life. I haven't been completely honest in my business dealings, but they're within the law so it wouldn't be an issue …"His relaxed expression suddenly tightened and his gaze became dangerous.Even his tone changed as he asked, "Hugo, where is the painting I asked you to bring?"Lucian frowned."How did you get on the boat?"Before they got
Calista wasn't interested in what secrets lie behind the painting. "My mother agreed to help you restore the painting. So, why did you want her dead?""It's all because of Hugo. He was Grandpa Walter's favorite. So confident and spirited. But he was indifferent to everything except your mother. She was his sole weakness."Hugo then spoke up, "Grandpa Walter's health was deteriorating at the time. He was gradually delegating authority over to me. The power struggle in the Jacquez family had grown so intense that it became public."Both knew that they were not good people."If I had left the Jacquez family then, there would've been no place left for me when I returned. But I … I didn't know something had happened to her.""That's because Grandpa Walter kept the matter under wraps." It had been years since the incident. The mere mention of it had him gritting his teeth."He warned me even on his deathbed. It was all for your sake. How biased can he get?"Hugo's eyes widened. He
Flames reflected in Calista's dark eyes like two blazing spots of light. Everything happened too quickly, leaving no time for anyone to react. Vivian, who had her mind set on killing Calista, was left in a stupor."How could this happen? My Dad is still on that ship."She was afraid of Jean. But, she was aware that her affluent lifestyle depended solely on him. What was she going to do without him?She couldn't help but shudder as she thought about the things she had done. There were wealthy heiresses among the people she crossed.Unfortunately, they didn't come from families as well off as the Jacquez family. That left them with no choice but to swallow their grievances when they were bullied.What if they find out she had fallen out of favor with the Jacquez family?Explosions could occasionally be heard from the blazing fires in the distance. Each reverberation rattled her skull.Vivian, with her limited intelligence and resources, couldn't think of a way to handle the situat
Hugo hesitated. He seemed to have more to say. But, Calista's astonishingly bright eyes had him choking back his words."Alright. I'll have someone look into it."The flames blazed on for a full forty minutes before being fully extinguished. The moment the planks connecting the two ships were set up, Calista was more than eager to make her way over.It was dangerous to do so. The ships were swaying. Standing on the gangplank meant swaying along with it. One misstep could lead to her falling into the sea.The surrounding seawater was scalding after the fire had raged on for so long. Hugo stopped her."The ship hasn't completely cooled. Let's wait a bit longer."Calista turned, her gaze shifting from his face to his hand. She didn't say a word, but Hugo understood her intentions. He let her go."I'll have Liam accompany you."The planks were so wobbly that there was no way for her to maintain her balance while standing. It left her with no choice but to crawl across.Smoke conti
Hugo looked outside and frowned upon seeing the uniformed cop and the imposing German Shepherd by their side. He frowned. "Take your time with the food. I'll be right back."Before leaving, he signaled the nearby bodyguard to keep an eye on Calista. The person outside approached him."They're saying they received a tip-off claiming you have contraband. They want to search the car."Lucian used the same excuse to search Jean's home two days ago. Little did Hugo know he'd be facing the same situation now. The officer showed him their credentials. "We received a report about contraband being kept in this vehicle. We need to search. Please cooperate with us."Hugo glanced at the gun holstered at the officer's waist and nodded. "Go ahead."Despite having steeled himself for the inevitable, he couldn't help but frown when the officer found a package under the car.When the package was opened, it revealed bags of white powder inside. The officer took a sniff. Immediately, their ex
Yara marveled at how the closed-off soul had finally opened up. Lucian had changed his wicked ways and was now a romantic.The room filled with flowers and adorned with fairy lights was a scene right out of a wedding.Even an independent woman like her who had sworn off marriage couldn't help but feel a twinge of longing for romance. Then, out of the corner of her eye, the figure next to her collapsed."Calista …"She reached out to catch her. But, Calista had seemingly lost all strength in her body. The dead weight made her impossible to hold onto.With Yara being unable to hold her friend up, they both ended up on the ground. Not wanting the unconscious and unknowing Calista to fall on her head, Yara padded the landing with her elbows.A thud resounded through the air. Her elbows hit the hard floor tiles, sending a sharp pain through her arms. Yara let out a cry. Her entire arm felt numb.Lucian had taken the bodyguards at the Everglade Manor away. With neither Lucian nor Cali
Calista was greeted by blinding white lights when she awoke. The scent of disinfectant filled her nostrils. After a long sleep, she felt considerably better.The splitting headache she had before seemed to have subsided. It was still daytime when she looked out the window. The bright sunlight outside was almost blinding.Yara wasn't around. She got up from the bed and absentmindedly ran her fingers through her hands.When she raised her hand, she noticed both her hands were wrapped in bandages. Her hair felt smooth when her fingers brushed through her locks. It was devoid of the scent of the ocean.There were also no residues of salt particles. It smelled of shampoo. She seemed to have also been wiped down. There was no discomfort from having been soaking in seawater.Yara must've cleaned her up when she passed out. Calista went to the bathroom and picked up her phone by the bedside table. As she walked out, she dialed Yara's number.The door to the ward was forcefully yanked ope
"I know."With things having come to this, Calista knew it wouldn't make a difference even if she stood guard on the ship every day.She was just an ordinary person. She was neither exceptionally talented nor someone who knew how to dive. But, she wanted to be closer to being the first to receive news.Yara returned after she was done with Lily.Calista was currently in a physically weak state. She might not be able to withstand the pressure if she were to leave now. But, Yara didn't know what to say to convince her to stay.In the past, it wouldn't have posed a burden to persuade Calista. But, Yara could tell from a glance at the setup at the Everglade Manor that Lucian intended to propose.She tried to put herself in Calista's shoes. In that situation, knowing that her boyfriend's fate was still unknown and seeing the surprise he prepared for her.Wouldn't she also want to find a way to teleport to his side at the moment of the accident? Perhaps she would've been able to prote