登入Inside the Laurent family villa, Selena Laurent locked herself in her room and pressed a hand over her phone as she hissed into the receiver.“Useless! Every last one of you! I paid her a fortune, and this is the result?”“Miss Laurent, there was nothing we could do,” the man on the other end replied helplessly. “The people you wanted us to target clearly aren't ordinary. No amount of money would've changed the outcome.”His tone made it obvious he wanted nothing more to do with the situation.Panic flickered across Selena's face.“No. You don't get to walk away now. We're all tied to this together.”“Not our problem anymore.”The line went dead.Selena immediately called back, only to be greeted by a disconnected tone.Her grip tightened around the phone.For a long moment, she stared into space.Then a thought surfaced.A certain face flashed through her mind.Meanwhile, back at the Barclay estate, Vessara sat beside her bedroom window, absently watching the moonlight spill across t
Just after leaving the facility for good, Vessara received a call from the police station.“Ms. Vessara? We’ve uncovered some new information. Would you mind coming in?”“Of course.”After hanging up, she turned to Roy, who was beside her.“It’s the officer from before.”“Kendrick?” Roy paused for a moment before adding, “He’s one of the good ones.”Vessara nodded slightly, committing the name to memory.When they arrived at the station, Kendrick was already waiting near the entrance.“Ms. Vessara. Mr. Roy.”He greeted them, then his expression grew serious.“Jessica Hart has identified the organization behind the scam. We asked you both to come in for two reasons: to update you on the investigation and to collect formal statements. If you have access to the dashcam footage from that day, it would help us tremendously.”“No problem.”At a glance from Vessara, Roy immediately went to retrieve the video files.A flicker of relief crossed Kendrick’s face.“Please, have a seat, Ms. Vessar
The room was silent.Vessara sat in the chair that had always belonged to her.The desk, the shelves, the maps on the walls—everything remained exactly as it had been years ago.Only she had changed.After a long moment, she spoke."Roy."Her voice was calm."It's time to reactivate the base."Roy immediately straightened."Boss, we've always been waiting for you."There wasn't a hint of hesitation in his voice."We'll always stand by your side."Something stirred in Vessara's chest.She rose to her feet."From today onward, I'll be staying here for the foreseeable future."Her gaze swept across the room."It's time we resumed our work."A faint smile appeared on her lips."As long as I'm here, this place will never fade into obscurity.""Boss..."Roy's eyes reddened.Vessara shook her head helplessly before getting back to business.Walking to a steel support column near the center of the room, she rested a hand against it."Send two people to Cedar Hollow. Continue monitoring develo
The alleyways were cramped and maze-like.Jessica was drenched in sweat as she ran through them. Damp strands of hair clung to her cheeks, but she didn't dare slow down.She had no idea whether anyone was still chasing her.All she knew was that she had to keep running.At last, sunlight appeared ahead.The narrow passage opened onto a larger street, and relief flashed across her face.Then her steps stopped.A figure had appeared directly in her path.Jessica froze."W-What..."Her voice trembled."When did you get here?"Instinctively, she spun around.A second figure stepped out from the alley behind her.The last escape route was gone.Vessara leaned casually against the wall."Well, that's disappointing."She blinked innocently."It looks like you prefer him over me."Meanwhile, Roy folded his arms."Miss Hart, why exactly are you running?"He pointed toward the street."You scratched my car. If you'd simply compensated for the damage, none of this would've happened."Jessica's e
Outside the car window, the afternoon sun bathed the city in golden light.A gentle breeze drifted through the slightly opened window, stirring Vessara's hair.She sat in the passenger seat, casually studying Roy's profile.A teasing smile appeared on her lips."It's only been a few days, and you've already become much more mature."Roy nearly choked."Boss, you're exaggerating."He scratched the back of his neck."Everything I know came from you."Vessara laughed softly before her expression turned serious."Put the Cedar Hollow investigation on hold for now."She looked out the window."How much do you know about the Quinn family?"Roy froze.Then realization dawned.Immediately, his expression darkened."Boss, the Quinn family is probably far more complicated than we originally thought."He hesitated."If possible, you should stay away from them."The concern in his voice stopped Vessara from pressing further.She closed her eyes.Unfortunately, the peace lasted only a few moments.
Vessara rubbed her sore eyes and walked to the door.The moment she opened it, she found Isabella hurriedly wiping away tears.Something softened inside her."Mrs. Barclay?"She stepped aside. "Did you need something?""You've suffered enough."Despite her efforts to remain composed, Isabella's voice trembled."I've decided to send Emilia away. As for Lucas, he'll be staying at the research center for the next few days. He won't bother you anymore."She forced a smile."I just want you to be happy in this house."After a brief pause, she continued,"I've already spoken with the Dalton family. The boy involved will be punished."Then she looked at Vessara seriously."You don't need to worry about anyone hurting you again. If it makes you feel safer, I'll hire personal security for you.""You can choose them yourself.""Thank you, Mrs. Barclay." Vessara was genuinely touched. "You don't need to go this far for me."She lowered her gaze."To be honest, I only came here because I needed a







