The results appeared, and Koven read what was on the screen.“Linus Gusman, 24, joined Spades at a young age and has given his life to them since then. He was involved in several military incidents and also the Empire’s presidential assassination. He also threatened the leader of Zakonia by abducting his daughter. "He almost lost his life while working for the organization but was saved after that. When he returned, he went into hiding to conduct underground activities…” Koven continued reading the information on Linus. He was in slight disbelief. Linus did not look like someone who had done all this.“Are you sure this is Linus Gusman?” Charlie spoke up. He knew that Linus was not a good person and was right about it, but he did not believe Linus could do all these things.Koven rolled his eyes at Charlie and asked, “Do you mean to say that you don’t believe me?”He clicked on an image of Linus.Charlie took a sharp breath when he saw the image. It was Linus.However, the imag
Matthew frowned when he heard this and said nothing.This situation had too many implications, and this had to happen at a time like this. What should he do? “Find out who's the one spreading the rumor. Looks like Sunrise Group and whichever organization involved has something to do with this,” Hudson said while looking at Matthew. However, he knew that this was just a small matter to Matthew.The most important thing right now was to settle the shareholders who had pulled out their investments. Otherwise, the company would be a mess internally.All four of them were about to discuss a plan when Lucy pushed the door open and came in.She went straight to Matthew’s side and said worriedly to him.“Are you alright? I saw the news. How did something like that happen? What should we do now? Have you found a solution? I’m sorry, Matthew. I was being stubborn this morning and made you worried. I’m sorry,” Lucy said a bunch of things while standing next to Matthew, and he had no idea w
Matthew turned and left Hudson’s office after that. He was not worried about anything happening to Lucy because he had Hudson, Charlie, and Koven to look out for her.Meanwhile, Lucy watched the news in her office. She was not in the mood to work and had no inspiration for her designs. She was worried about Matthew but had no idea how to comfort him.That was when her phone on the table rang.Lucy stood up from the couch and went to the table. She picked up the call when she saw it was from Chelsea.“Hello? Lucy? I just saw the news on television. What happened to Matthew? Is it serious? Hugh and I wanted to call you the moment we saw the news,” Chelsea’s anxious voice could be heard over the phone.Lucy felt relieved to hear from Chelsea. She said slowly, “Don’t worry, I’m fine. Matthew told me it was a small matter. He said I don’t need to worry myself over it, but I can’t help worrying. I’ve only just seen the news too. That was what Matthew told me when I asked him about it.”
Lucy called Chelsea at six that evening to inform her she was done with work. Chelsea came rushing over to meet Lucy downstairs.“Do you know how much I’ve missed you, Lucy? But you refuse to give me a call at all. That’s too much of you,” Chelsea pouted as she said unhappily to Lucy.Lucy laughed at Chelsea’s antics and said with concern, “I've been busy lately. If I weren’t so busy, I’d be annoying you every day until you get tired of me.”Chelsea laughed at Lucy’s retort and forgave her right away.“Tell me where you'd like to go today. Let me take you for a spin,” Chelsea patted her chest and after that, patted her car. She turned to get into the driver’s seat.Lucy could do nothing much about Chelsea’s antics. She shook her head while getting into the front passenger seat.“It’s six right now. Why don’t we head to the theme park nearby? It’s cooler at night anyway. We can have fun there and release some stress.” Lucy was already imagining herself getting onto a pirate ship.
Charlie's and Hudson's gut feeling told them something was off, so they decided to make a call to Matthew. They could not shake the worry that Lucy might be in trouble.In his office, Matthew saw the call light up his phone and picked it up instantly."What's up? Is there trouble?" Matthew asked, his voice steady but concerned."It's Lucy. She's missing. We were about to walk her out, and she just wasn't there anymore. We're right outside your house, and all the lights are off. We figured we'd better give you a heads-up," Hudson blurted out, his words tumbling over each other.The news hit Matthew like a punch to the gut. Dropping everything, he snatched his coat and bolted for the garage. His car roared to life, and he sped toward them.Outside Matthew's house, three figures paced and dialed Lucy's number over and over. The phone kept ringing, unanswered, heightening their anxiety.Then, out of nowhere, a car came tearing down the street. The brakes screeched as the car halted a
Matthew's frown deepened. He quickly dialed a number, his voice firm as he ordered his people to scour the area for any sign of Chelsea and Lucy.An hour and a half had passed since the women vanished, and the tension among the searchers was palpable.Kent jogged up with a photo in hand. "We tracked someone who snapped this photo as Lucy was leaving. She and Chelsea were heading south in a car."With that, the five men jumped into a car and sped off southward."Keep your eyes peeled for a blue car on the side of the road. Hugh, you know the one, right?" Matthew said, turning to Hugh."Don't worry, I'm on it. I gave that car to Chelsea. I'll never forget it," Hugh replied confidently, scanning the vehicles around them.About 20 minutes into the drive, Hugh blurted out, "Stop, stop the car! Right there!"Matthew's reflexes kicked in as he swerved and braked hard. The five men piled out of the car and rushed to the spot."This is it, no doubt. I even helped Chelsea pick out this l
The guys had no choice but to hang back and wait for the women to finish their adventure and come down from the ship.With only Lucy and Chelsea on the pirate ship, it was pretty obvious they would notice the five men standing off to the side.As the ship started to slow down, ready to dock, Chelsea leaned in and whispered to Lucy, "Do you see those five guys down there? They've been watching us non-stop." Even with her blurry vision, she could make out the figures.Lucy glanced down and nearly jumped out of her skin. She pressed close to Chelsea in alarm."What's going on? Why are you sticking so close to me?" Chelsea asked, her curiosity piqued."It's Hugh, Matthew, Hudson, Charlie, and Koven," Lucy murmured, a trace of fear in her voice."So, we've somehow caught the eye of five of the city's big shots?" Chelsea mused, a ripple of unease washing over her."Chelsea, do you think this ride could just keep going? I'd love for this pirate ship to never stop. I'm dreading getting
As the pirate ship finally stopped, Lucy and Chelsea reluctantly made their way down.They exchanged awkward laughs, eyeing the five figures steadily closing in on them."Lucy, what do we do? It feels like something big is about to go down." Chelsea's voice trembled as the reality of their situation sunk in.Handling one or two people would have been manageable, but this was shaping up to be far more serious than they anticipated.Lucy offered a tight-lipped smile and whispered back, "Let's just see what they want. I'm not the one calling the shots here. Koven's the lesser evil, but Matthew... he's bad news."Chelsea's heart skipped a beat at the mention of Matthew, her mind racing with the thought of Matthew's wrath if he learned she had dragged Lucy into this mess. She could almost feel her skin peeling off at the mere idea.Lucy glanced at Chelsea's worried expression and chuckled. "Hey, it's all good. Don't sweat it. Matthew isn't going to be mad at us. A little downtime neve
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