로그인Candice’s phone vibrated silently.
A new message popped up—
Sent from her grandmother’s number:
“Candice, my precious, are you here yet? Grandma’s waiting for you on the rooftop, oh~”
That final “oh” carried an eerie sweetness—like a ghost whispering through the dark, both coy and menacing. It sent chills crawling up her spine.
Something about the tone felt familiar, but she couldn’t place it.
<He had to be kidding…How could he come alone, with no plan!What good was one person? Was he trying to collect seven heads to summon a dragon?Everyone's mental state was taking a nosedive. That sudden feeling… it was like watching your favorite idol get exposed."Mr. Clemens, there's no one else here. If you're worried about someone eavesdropping, you can whisper. No need to hide it from us," Mike said quickly, lowering his voice. He refused to believe that Charlie, with his cunning and vengeful nature, wouldn't have a backup plan."Why would I hide anything from you? I came on the boat alone, and I didn't have time to call for reinforcements. I can only try to see if there's room for negotiation."Charlie, with his aloof and handsome face, was saying things that made people's brains short-circuit.Ollie stared blankly at his older brother. "So, the negotiation was a success?"Charlie wasn't embarrassed at all. "Nope, it failed."Edward was torn between laughter and tears. "…Honey,
The smile froze on Belinda’s face, making her features look even more distorted and grotesque.Perhaps she hadn’t expected this man—who looked every bit the refined, noble gentleman—to speak with such blunt, childlike disregard for social graces. She was so incensed she couldn’t find the words to retaliate."My apologies," Charlie said with a slight smile. "I’m not in the habit of lying. I hope you don’t mind.""..."Belinda gritted her teeth.She decided to abandon this self-inflicted humiliation of a topic. "Mr. Clemens doesn't seem surprised to see me. It seems you’ve already guessed it was I who invited your friends onto my ship to 'play.'"Charlie replied in a relaxed manner, "I had my suspicions. Tell me, how are they enjoying themselves?""Quite well," Belinda said, her smile returning with a vengeance. "I asked for one of Miss. Lawrence's fingers as a welcoming gift. They weren't
"I don’t want much," Candice said calmly. "I just have a few lingering doubts I’d like Mr. Fletcher to clear up. And while we’re at it, I’d like to borrow your phone for a few calls."Dante froze for a heartbeat.*She wasn’t forcing him to go to that deathtrap with her?*A wave of relief washed over him. He forced a casual cough, raising his voice for the benefit of the room. "So that’s what Miss Hale meant. My apologies for the misunderstanding. Let’s sit over there, shall we?"He pointed toward a partitioned coffee booth shielded by decorative greenery.The three of them walked over. Jerry, snapping back to his senses, followed closely behind to act as a lookout, ensuring no curious guests could sneak close enough to eavesdrop.The expressions of the people left in the hall grew increasingly subtle and uneasy.Once behind the partition, a visibly tense Dante took the initiative to ask, "Miss
The air in the grand hall turned to ice.Jerry’s eyes darted frantically between Candice and Kyle. His heart hammered against his ribs; he knew that if either of them "exploded" right now, there wasn't a soul alive who could stabilize the fallout.Further off, the guests in the hall began to cast lingering glances toward the trio. However, being the "sly foxes" they were, the vast majority had no intention of wading into these muddy waters. No one dared to step closer.Ever since the cellular signal had been restored, every guest had remained glued to the hall. They were experts at reading the room—they knew exactly when they could act tough and exactly which lines could never be crossed. Mr. Fletcher had already lost all face today. If anyone was foolish enough to sneak a phone call and leak the gossip now, it would truly ignite his wrath. Offending a man like Dante to his face brought zero benefits.They were content to watch the fire from a
"Are you certain that was Gabrielle?""I’m certain. Miss Lawrence was running in a panic, as if someone was chasing her. I didn't know what was happening then, but having heard that she and Young Master Edward were abducted, I assume a kidnapper was after her.""You assume?"Kyle repeated those two words. "So, you only saw her running alone?"The man from the acrobatics troupe seemed to recall the moment carefully before saying with certainty, "Yes, just her."Jerry added, "Didn't you say you chased her for a bit? Where did she finally disappear?""Uh, that..." The man began racking his brain for an excuse.Jerry cut him off, exposing the lie. "Actually, you didn't chase her at all. You were busy doing something else."As for what that "something" was—being one of Denise’s plants, he likely intended to assassinate Edward. Seeing him leave the theater, the man must have followed him, hoping to strike when he wa
Edward was more than happy to let go.However, he still had to convince this little "ancestor" to release her grip. He lowered his voice to coax her. "Gabrielle, let Brother go find you something to eat. How about letting Natasha stay with you for a while?"Gabrielle shook her head and only hugged him tighter."Don't you want chocolate, ice cream, or little cakes?" Edward tried to tempt her with her favorite snacks.But this time, even sweets held no sway over her.Edward was out of options. "Fine, forget it. I’ll do it. Natasha, go help Rex guard the door."Natasha nodded. "Understood."She turned quickly and walked toward the entrance, her stiff shoulders slowly beginning to relax. Edward stared at her back, his brow furrowed in faint confusion.Ollie’s gaze grew even colder, as if he wanted to freeze both Gabrielle and Edward into ice sculptures. Seeing Edward’s eyes lingering on the female bodyguard, he sn
He circled her waist from behind.The lingering scent of his shower mixed with the warmth, making her head spin.A tingling sensation spread from her ear down her body, and her pink toes instinctively curled up.Early morning! Broad daylight!Could he please stop tempting her like this?"You... you
"……!"Candice felt a wave of despair wash over her.It was fate.It had to be fate. The heavens seemed to delight in watching her life unravel like a drama.Nicole was completely confused. She had been sent by her father to find her mother. When she heard
"...!"The sudden sound startled the two of them.Candice and Jim turned around at the same time.The little bun, who had been sitting on Candice's lap, jumped off and bounced like a chubby rabbit towards Charlie, going to beg for attention from his father.Candice quickly came to her senses. "Ah, I
She put down her chopsticks and stood up to walk outside.Charlie didn’t stop her.Before they entered, she might’ve tried to escape, but now that she was here, given her knack for drama, and her tendency to go all in, she wouldn’t run away.Candice reached







