Semua Bab I wish it were you: Bab 731 - Bab 740

Dereon led Seraphina back into Ryan’s office.Seraphina lifted her head to face the man she both deeply loved and deeply feared.Ryan stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, backlit by the pale light. Shadows cast across his face, and his dark eyes gleamed with an icy sharpness, as though piercing straight through her.Her heart pounded wildly, and fear crept through her veins.She thought back to the years she had spent by his side. She had witnessed his transformation from a frail young man, enduring humiliation and illness, into the powerful figure that now commanded fear across the empire.She ached for the suffering he had endured and admired the unyielding strength that had brought him to this moment.If today was the day he decided to kill her, Seraphina suddenly thought, perhaps dying by his hand would not be the worst fate.With that thought, her fear dulled.Forcing herself to meet his eyes, she spoke, “Young Master, what do you need?”“Come here.”She took two steps forward.

Noticing Kendrick’s tense expression, Annabelle quickly asked, “What happened?”Kendrick held her hand firmly. “Nothing serious. The phone’s been recovered. Jax ran into someone he knows. We’re going to check it out.”After taking a few steps, he turned back and instructed, “Put your mask on and don’t stray from my side. Not even a step. Got it?”His sudden seriousness made Anna uneasy. “Where are we going?”Kendrick’s lips pressed into a thin line. “You’ll see soon.”Though puzzled, Anna obediently pulled on her mask. Kendrick even tugged her cap’s brim lower, as if determined to shield her face from view.After turning a couple of corners, they found themselves on a street illuminated by neon lights, alive with music and laughter. It was only then that Annabelle realized — they were in Bangkok’s largest red-light district.No wonder Kendrick had insisted on covering her up. He clearly didn’t want other men ogling her in a place like this.This notorious street was a chaotic mix of p

Kendrick glanced at Annabelle and gently pulled her into his arms."Ariana was once our friend and a citizen of our country. Finding her in a place like this, of course, I’ll do what I can to help her return home. But I also need to find out what happened."Annabelle nodded in agreement.At that moment, she felt more sympathy for Ariana than anything else. Regardless of what had happened between them in the past, her resentment had never been strong enough to wish for such a terrible fate to befall Ariana.She supported Kendrick’s decision to rescue Ariana. The problem was—would it be that easy?Sensing her concern, Kendrick reassured her, "Most problems in this world can be solved with money. And in places like this, money works especially well. Don’t worry."As they spoke, Jax returned."Boss, the owner of this place wants to have a word with you," Jax said.Kendrick cast a long glance in the direction of the private booth where Ariana had gone earlier. Then, tightening his hold on

Ariana pursed her lips tightly, her wide eyes filled with confusion.Annabelle's heart skipped a beat, and she couldn’t help but glance at Kendrick.Kendrick said, "When it comes to matters of principle, Anna will never let her emotions take over. Even if she hates you to the core, she wouldn't stop me from bringing you back to the country. She wouldn’t assume that saving you means I have any romantic feelings for you. That’s one of the reasons I love Anna."To be honest, hearing Kendrick say that made Annabelle feel incredibly touched.But she couldn't deny that there was a slight twinge of jealousy — especially considering how much money he was willing to spend to bring Ariana back.It did feel like Kendrick was being overly generous toward Ariana. Yet that thought only lingered for a mere 0.1 seconds.Annabelle understood perfectly well that Kendrick’s kindness toward Ariana had nothing to do with romance.He was willing to spend so much money simply because it didn’t matter to him

Cael had once pursued Miranda, frequently sending her flowers at the university lab. It was during these visits that he crossed paths with Kendrick, which explained why Kendrick found him somewhat familiar.After Miranda’s disappearance, Cael and her parents never gave up searching for her.Eventually, they managed to track down her whereabouts, only to learn that Miranda had passed away six months earlier.She had suffered unimaginable torment and humiliation in the brothel where she had been sold. In the end, her frail body succumbed to a severe illness, and she died without receiving proper medical care.Devastated, Miranda’s parents managed to track down the trafficker who had sold their daughter. They pressed charges, sending him to prison. Following the trail further, they uncovered evidence that Miranda had been assaulted. The gang of thugs responsible were also apprehended and imprisoned.The case seemed closed.But Miranda’s parents and Cael both knew that the trafficker and