LOGINFifteen minutes later.
More footsteps echoed outside.
But this time, it was different. The footsteps were hurried and laced with caution.
The newcomer stopped at the door and tapped twice. A voice thick with anxiety filtered through the wood, “Mr. Clemens, are you inside? It's Barry, I came with you.”
Everyone looked at Charlie.
“Barry, what’s the situation out there?” Charlie asked, his tone as casual as if he were discussing t
Candice remained unmoved.She continued to stare at him with a chilly gaze for a moment, then pushed a small cake, which she had thoroughly mangled with her fork, towards him. “Scared? Have a little cake to calm your nerves.”Charlie still had a hint of amusement in his eyes, his tone laced with difficulty. “...Candice ah...”Candice slammed her hand on the table. “Eat it!”Her eyes glared, fierce enough to bite someone, her chest rising and falling slightly.She was truly angry.Charlie abandoned his attempt to brush it off with a casual attitude, his expression turning serious.In the corner, the schadenfreude on Ollie’s face was practically overflowing.He was extremely curious how his brother, who was cold in both heart and face, always carrying himself with an air of absolute superiority towards everyone, would handle this situation with his girlfriend.He turned his head, openly watching.He saw his big brother, who usually acted like he was cultivating the path of detachment fr
A roar of anger exploded alongside the sounds of impact.The ocean churned into monstrous waves…Meanwhile.Charlie and his group finally made it back to the cruise ship.As they pushed open the doors to the main hall, every single guest inside stared with wide eyes… They're back??!These people were gathered here under the pretense of proving their innocence, but in reality, they were being monitored and confined. The doors were heavily guarded, and the moment anyone picked up their phone, a warning glare would sweep across the room. They were completely cut off from any news, utterly clueless about how things were unfolding.Just moments ago, everyone was discussing how the kidnapped individuals were likely already gone.After a brief moment of stunned silence."They're back!""Thank goodness, thank heaven!""Mr. Clemens, what method did you use to rescue them? You're incredible!"…
Fifteen minutes later.More footsteps echoed outside.But this time, it was different. The footsteps were hurried and laced with caution.The newcomer stopped at the door and tapped twice. A voice thick with anxiety filtered through the wood, “Mr. Clemens, are you inside? It's Barry, I came with you.”Everyone looked at Charlie.“Barry, what’s the situation out there?” Charlie asked, his tone as casual as if he were discussing the weather.The man outside reported, "We received a call from Mr. Fletcher. He said they’ve reached an agreement, the other side agreed to release you. They told us to come get you."“After that, we saw twenty-odd people coming off the yacht and boarding those fishing boats. They left separately. We waited a few minutes, made sure the fishing boats were far enough away before we dared to come up.”The people inside exchanged glances: Should they trust this
Charlie sat down next to Edward.He helped Edward control Gabrielle, his pair of peach blossom eyes looking at her, his gaze gentle yet revealing a captivating depth, "Gabrielle, why aren't you talking to me today? You used to like me so much, does your hand hurt? Let me blow on it for you?"He not only called her name intimately, but his voice was also exceptionally gentle.So gentle that Edward got goosebumps.Ollie's face was blank.He couldn't quite understand what his brother, with his eight hundred schemes, was doing.Charlie's voice seemed to possess some kind of magic, as the out-of-control Gabrielle actually quieted down a bit.She tilted her head, her eyes empty and dazed.She looked at Charlie, then turned her head to look at Edward, as if making a choice between them."It hurts, it hurts so much, waaaah~~~~" she started crying again, leaning towards Charlie, throwing herself into his arms, "waaaah~~~ blow on
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
Nobody from the family is home?Just the cousin-in-law…After going upstairs, Phoebe personally led Charlie to the master suite on the third floor, while the butler took Candice and the others to the guest rooms on the south side of the second floor.The two areas were
"huh?"Candice glanced around.Next to her was a pot of green ivy, and beyond that, there was only the door and the hallway. There was no such thing as elf... No, it was impossible for such living creatures to exist!!Realizing the severity of the situation, she quickly turne
"Enough!"Edward couldn’t take it anymore. "Impossible, not a chance!""You're old enough to be her father!""And why would you think she’d leave Charlie, a handsome man like him, to fall into your arms?""Stop thinking like that. You’re way too old to play the game of ‘young romantic drama.’ Don’t
Edward led his group, accompanying Charlie in the search.Jerry was tasked with staying in the yard to keep an eye on Rex.Looking at the CEO, who was moving with such a chilling aura, Jerry poked Rex on the forehead. "This time you're really in trouble. When he comes back, he&rsquo







