"Let’s go to Nubis Mall. That’s where I usually go to shop. They have many exciting things there.”Charlotte mentioned the place she had agreed upon with Alice’s people.Matthew turned on the navigation system and headed toward Nubis Mall. The journey there was smooth, so they arrived quickly.The mall was indeed bustling. The ground floor was lined with colorful shops, each adorned with beautiful flowers.All the quaint shops sold a variety of couture, many of which were exported abroad and were highly sought after.The second floor housed luxury boutiques, dessert shops, an amusement park, and bars.It was a one-stop shop for all kinds of entertainment.Although Lucy had concerns on her mind, she could not help but feel relaxed upon seeing the vibrant scenery.She happily wandered from place to place, while Matthew and Charlotte struggled to keep up as they followed her around the mall.“Charlotte, Matthew, look at this! It’s a talking rabbit! That’s so funny!”Lucy held up
Charlotte insisted on dragging Lucy upstairs with her.Despite her reluctance, Lucy could not refuse, so she simply followed her upstairs.As a man, it was not appropriate for Matthew to go up with them.Not to mention, the decor of the store… Well, it was a store that sold lingerie, so it made Matthew uncomfortable to look around.Matthew rubbed his eyes and thought that Kent should have arrived by now, so he called him.“Have you arrived? How many men did you bring with you?”Kent sounded a little lost, but he responded promptly, “Yes, sir. I brought everyone from Charleston along with me. We’re outside the store right now, but what exactly are we supposed to do?”In fact, they had arrived a long time ago. However, without instructions from Matthew, they had no idea what they were supposed to do. All they could do was silently follow Matthew to ensure their safety.Other than that, Kent noticed that Matthew was shopping with his wife! It turned out that his wife did not die,
The man jumped onto the terrace and used it to leap down to the ground. Upon landing, he found himself face-to-face with Kent and the rest of Matthew's men.They exchanged looks. With the man being the first to realize what was going on, he turned around immediately to flee.Damn it. He did not think that anyone was downstairs. Now that he had been spotted, he had to leave quickly.Otherwise, it would be disastrous if he attracted the attention of the royal guards of Charleston. The man ran as fast as he could.Looking at the person on his shoulder, Kent was shocked. Although he could not see the person’s face clearly, he had followed Matthew and Lucy closely enough earlier to realize who that was.Was that not Mrs. Leon? Without further thought, Kent ordered, “Quick, stop him! Don’t let him take Mrs. Leon with him!”The men immediately chased after the sinister man who was carrying Lucy through the back alleys.The men Kent brought were all elite bodyguards. They were highly sk
Jumping out of the window would only take two minutes tops, and Matthew was agile enough to do it without a problem.Just as he jumped, the staff member happened to witness the scene. She screamed.Was that man insane? How could he jump off the building?She thought that Matthew was committing suicide, so she frantically ran to the window and looked down, only to see Matthew unharmed.After feeling momentarily relieved, she realized something was wrong. Was this man trying to escape? She could not let that happen.Only when she was about to hurry downstairs did she discover Charlotte lying on the ground.By the time Matthew caught up with the sinister man, the man was already in a sorry state. He was struggling to fend off the bodyguards.However, he still held onto Lucy, showing no intention of letting her go.Concerned about Lucy’s safety, the bodyguards were unable to effectively intervene, which helped the sinister man hold his own against them.Now, Matthew had caught up
Matthew was well aware of that. Letting that man take Lucy away might be dangerous, but stopping him was even more dangerous. Matthew found himself in a difficult position.“Of course, I know that. Listen to me. We only have one chance now. Do you see that? He’s heading toward a car parked by the road.”Matthew squinted his eyes, already formulating a plan in his mind. Kent noticed it too, and his eyes lit up as he said, “I understand. Mr. Leon, are you saying…”“Yes, he’s going to get into the car to escape. There'll be a short window of vulnerability then. As soon as that happens, knock the knife out of his hand and rescue Lulu. Take her away immediately. I’ll deal with him.”This was their only chance. If they missed it, it would be impossible to catch up to him after he got into the car.Based on this and previous assassination attempts, Charlotte seemed determined to have Lucy killed.“But Mr. Leon, we’re too far from him. What if…”The assistant wanted to express his conce
In such a dangerous situation, the sinister man found himself distracted. He was wondering who had betrayed the organization and sold out this operation.This should have been Matthew’s perfect opportunity to attack, but the appearance of the gun-wielding woman disrupted his plan.Unsure if she was a friend or a foe, Matthew and his men hesitated for a few seconds.Knowing that the sinister man had misunderstood, the woman did not bother to explain. Instead, she just smiled at him.Furious and desperate, the man resorted to threatening the woman with Lucy again.“So what if you have a gun? Do you dare kill me? I’m telling you, get out of my car or I’ll kill her!”He edged the knife closer to Lucy’s neck, causing blood to trickle down.Matthew’s heart tightened, and his fists were clenched so tight that his nails were digging into his flesh.The woman in the car smiled, unfazed by the man’s threats. Without moving her gun, she said to the man, “Her? I don’t care about her. If yo
The woman in the car opened the door and nonchalantly retracted her handgun. She walked up to the man who was as good as dead and sneered at him.“Unfortunately, the two things I hate the most in my life are being threatened and people from Spades.”Her eyes were cold as she turned to look at Lucy. That woman… was actually Yitty!Yitty turned around and stared at Lucy with only one thought in her mind.This was the woman that idiot was so infatuated with. How on earth did she look like her?How could that idiot mistake her for Lucy when they looked nothing alike?Not to mention, Lucy was so weak. Yitty happened to see Lucy on the streets today, so she curiously followed her.She watched as Lucy shopped around and followed Charlotte into the lingerie store. Hiding in one of the booths, she witnessed Lucy being knocked unconscious.She had only intended to watch the show go down from a random car she stole, but who knew she would end up stealing the car of that damned assassin?
"Drive the car away and leave no trace behind. Oh, and keep the body. Tomorrow, I’m going to stage a big show,” Matthew ordered, staring ahead with his cold eyes.“Yes, sir,” replied his subordinates in unison.With his instructions given, Matthew took Lucy away. The assistant drove while Matthew and Lucy sat in the back.Instead of heading back to the palace, they went to the house Matthew had bought in Charleston.“Mr. Leon, not only is your wife not dead, but she even became a princess? What’s going on?”Kent finally had the chance to voice his confusion, finding the situation miraculous.After all, he had seen firsthand how much misery Matthew had been in the past few days. He was completely devoid of all hope.It was not an exaggeration to say that Lucy was his whole life. Upon finding out that Lucy was not dead, Kent could not help but feel happy and curious.However, Matthew had no intention of explaining. He simply said, “It’s a long story. Let’s just go back first.”T
As Gabriella examined the luxurious clothes, bags, shoes, and pants, she could not help but feel that Lucy was completely unappreciative of such treasures. She failed to utilize them to enhance her appearance! They spent quite a while going through the various garments and accessories, yet there were still items they had not finished checking out.Lucy gave an awkward smile, acknowledging her own laziness. After a long search, Gabriella finally found a piece that caught her eye. As she checked the tag, she was surprised to find that the dress was designed by a renowned French designer. It featured a V-neck, with simple yet elegant sleeves that revealed a hint of Lucy's arms, while the skirt was a refined and tailored fit.Gabriella held up the dress against Lucy, murmuring to herself, “Hmm, this one’s nice! You should try it on!” Even though she spoke to Lucy in a tone reminiscent of an older sister, she still maintained her authority as a mother-in-law. It made her words both
Since the previous incident, Lucy had become increasingly attentive to her children. She watched over them at nearly every moment. She feared that Charlotte might seize any chance to harm the children, so she remained vigilant and meticulous, avoiding any lapses. In her eyes, Matthew Leon and the children represented her entire world, and she could not afford even the slightest mishap.One day, Gabriella Sharpe visited their home. She arrived as lively as ever, wearing impeccably applied makeup that included an expensive shade of lipstick. Her appearance radiated the elegance of a woman of high social standing, making her stand out among the people on the street.Lucy welcomed Gabriella warmly, treating her with utmost respect. It created an atmosphere of family harmony. Gabriella settled into a chair, savoring the fruit that Lucy offered her. She held Johnny closely, reluctant to part with him. She showered him with compliments and laughter."Mom, you seem to be in a great mood l
Matthew noticed Lucy’s absent-mindedness and asked gently, "Lulu, what’s on your mind?"“Oh, nothing… I just think what happened to Charlotte is so sudden,” Lucy replied.“Don’t worry about it. It has nothing to do with us. She was always trying to harm you. Her fate is something she brought upon herself.” Matthew patted her head comfortingly.However, Lucy found it suspicious. Although the news reported Charlotte’s assassination and that the monastery had burned down to ashes, it did not mention her body. That kind of crucial detail would not have been overlooked by the media.Matthew had also considered this possibility, but he had kept it to himself to avoid alarming Lucy. Charlotte had been sent to the monastery because of him and Lucy, and she had to harbor a deep hatred for them. If she managed to orchestrate her own escape, what if she was now seeking help from Spades to target Lucy? That would be dangerous.“Lulu, don’t worry. I won’t let anything happen to you or the ch
With nothing left to hold onto, Charlotte walked down the empty streets, her heart heavy with despair. She wore a black veil that covered her completely, revealing only her eyes. She even had on dark sunglasses. She dared not walk in the open or be seen, nor did she dare expose Juliana’s crimes to the world.She used to be a princess. Everything she had done, every privilege and indulgence, was backed by Arthur and Juliana’s love and permission. Now that her supporters had betrayed her, what right did she have to be reckless or demand anything? Surviving itself was a luxury. How could she even think of acting willfully?As she wandered in anguish, Charlotte found herself by the river. She remembered coming here with Arthur and Juliana when she was a child, laughing and walking along the bank. Now, each memory felt painfully ironic, and every kiss from Juliana seemed sickening. How could her world be so false? How could even the people she trusted most turn against her?Charlotte cou
Charlotte continued to hide within the castle, unwilling to leave and equally unwilling to let anyone know she was alive—unless they promised never to send her back to the monastery. However, she doubted that would happen, so she kept to the shadows. After all, the castle had plenty of food. It was far better than anything at the monastery.One night, Charlotte quietly slipped into Arthur and Juliana's bedroom. To her surprise, Arthur was not there, and only Juliana was present. 'Dad must be too upset to sleep,' Charlotte thought. She knew him well—whenever he was troubled, he would retreat to the study rather than go to bed.As she watched her beloved mother, a tiny bit of her resolve wavered. Juliana looked utterly exhausted, as if she had lost a lot of weight in just a few days. Charlotte had a sudden urge to go in and comfort her, but she knew that was impossible. Charlotte realized that seeing someone through a wall of separation was the most painful thing of all.Just as
The next morning, news of the assassination attempt on Charlotte was sensationalized across all media outlets. The internet was flooded with headlines about her close brush with death, sparking worldwide shock. No one could believe that Charlotte, notorious for her arrogance and harsh treatment of offenders, could have been targeted like this. Many who resented her strict, often cruel ways were both thrilled and stunned by the news. The royal family immediately tightened security at the monastery, dispatching a large police force to investigate what had happened. The monastery became a focal point of public intrigue.“What? That's impossible! How could there be no trace?” Juliana exclaimed in disbelief. Standing before her was the chief forensic investigator.“Yes, Your Majesty, there's no sign of Princess Charlotte’s remains,” the investigator confirmed firmly.“Fine, I understand. Leave me, and keep me informed if anything changes,” Juliana replied, pressing her fingers to her
As the footsteps came closer, Charlotte held her breath, not daring to make a sound. Suddenly, a shadowy figure appeared—it was clear they were targeting her. She watched as the figure approached the bed, moving so quietly it was as if they made no sound at all. What could they possibly be planning? Surely, the headmistress would not go this far?The figure drew closer to the bed, bundled up the pillows and blankets, and then doused something over them. Charlotte could smell it—it was gasoline! Was the headmistress planning to kill her to silence her? She froze, unable to move. The shadow struck a match and dropped it onto the bed. In an instant, flames surged up from the blankets.In the fire’s glow, Charlotte could make out that it was not the headmistress but a man. After setting the fire, he quickly slipped away without making a single sound. Charlotte crept out while stifling a cough, afraid he might hear and return. The flames grew quickly, engulfing the bed and spreading t
Over the past year or so, Charlotte had gradually come to understand that the world was not just about picturesque landscapes and lavish feasts. In the shadows, beyond her sight, lay a world full of schemes and deception. Despite her ongoing attempts to plot against Lucy Quinn, she had not noticed this aspect at all until she arrived at the monastery. Here, she realized how dark human nature could truly be.The women at the monastery constantly criticized and belittled her, while the headmistress was corrupt, using her position for personal vendettas. She was also driven by greed for wealth and status. All Charlotte wanted was to escape this dreadful place and return to her castle. She wanted to go back to her plush, comfortable bed. There, she led a life surrounded by maids tending to her every need.Thinking of this, she remembered Lucy and envisioned her seated in her rightful place, basking in the affection of Arthur and Juliana. She could see Lucy's haughty expression starin
In a moment of heat, Charlotte blurted everything out. Joan was dumbfounded! Was this really Charlotte? She usually did not talk this much, did she? It was not just Joan who was shocked; the headmistress across from Charlotte was equally taken aback. Charlotte was usually so obedient. How had her tongue turned so venomous today? The headmistress was left speechless as every word Charlotte said was so reasonable that no one could argue against it, and it even warranted some compliments! Although Charlotte was confronting the headmistress, each of her statements felt like a plea for justice.Charlotte was not done yet and continued, “Since you know I’m a princess, you should give me some consideration. Yet, in reality, I’m the one giving you all the consideration. Is that reasonable?” Charlotte’s arguments were layered and logical, her thoughts clear. It left the headmistress in a muddle while Joan looked on with envy! The headmistress glanced at Charlotte, feeling quite displease