Bingle wasn't dressed in her uniform. Instead, a black cargo pant and a baggy jumper of the same color, clothes you wouldn't expect a girl like her to wear. 'Interesting!'Kagern nodded his head to show her he had got her signal, then tried to end the conversation with Belinda."Saying this might be your house soon," her question replayed in his mind. "What did you mean?”Kagern didn't have a better lie. He just said, "That's one of the issues Lydia will help me with. I'll explain it to you when you're back."Belinda raised her eyebrows. "Back from where?"Kagern answered with a question."Didn't you say you'll accompany Lydia to the police station?"Belinda gave him a suspicious look. "Why do you sound like you have somewhere you want to be?""It's because there is."With this, Kagern stood up to leave while saying, "Tharn will take you. Inform me when you're back so I can come talk to Lydia."He knew Belinda would be watching him, but he had no choice but to approach Bingle. Sur
The plush king-sized bed, a cloud of Egyptian cotton sheets the color of fresh snow, still swallowed Kagern and Bingle whole. Sunlight, softened by silk curtains the color of spun gold, streamed in, illuminating motes of dust dancing in the air like tiny ballerinas. A crystal vase overflowing with lilies, their fragrance sweet and intoxicating, sat on a bedside table crafted from a single slab of mahogany, its surface polished to a mirror sheen.Here, in this luxurious haven, Bingle cried. Tears, unchecked and glistening, traced tracks down her cheeks. Leaning against Kagern's broad chest, her sobs were muffled by the thickness of the down comforter that seemed to puff up around them like a protective cocoon. Kagern, his jaw clenched with an anger that mirrored Bingle's fear, held her tight. His voice, a deep rumble that sent shivers down her spine, promised comfort. "Don't worry," he vowed, each word a testament to his resolve. "Now that I know the truth, nothing is gonna happen to y
Bingle, mortified beyond belief, peeked through her fingers at the unfolding scene. Lydia was still shocked on her own, so embarrassed as if she was to one caught in a guy's room.If only the carpet could swallow her. For once, Belinda seemed genuinely surprised... though her mischievous glint quickly returned as she wrestled Kagern's hand away from her mouth."Okay, okay," she conceded, her voice breathless from laughter. "Maybe interrupting wasn't the wisest thing."Kagern tried to defend himself. "Obviously not!" Despite saying this, his cheeks were still burning crimson. He glanced back at Bingle, his frustration tinged with a desperate hope. "Bingle, I...""Oh, don't worry about me, Kagern," Bingle interrupted, forcing a small smile. "I understand. It's a bit...awkward."Her voice held a hint of sadness that pricked at Kagern's conscience. He wanted nothing more than to usher Belinda and Lydia out and comfort her, but the urgency of the situation wouldn't allow it.Lydia, fin
"I asked you, where did you get so much money? Don't tell me it's the script.""Linda, it's a secret," he replied, with a smile. "I'll tell you when I'm ready."It didn't take long for her shocked expression to disappear. Kagern was rich, so rich that he was going to buy the hotel, nothing else.Several minutes later, Lydia was done checking the contract. Others were still chit-chatting, Kagern with Bingle, Belinda with Mr. Bannet. She seemed to be enjoying the stories this man in his 40s was telling. Perhaps because he wasn't shy to answer the weird questions she was asking. "You said you run a club, right? I mean, a real club?" she had asked. The man, a bit confused, nodded his head. "And you get to see beautiful young girls dancing naked everyday."Mr. Bannet couldn't help but laugh. "They're not naked," he corrected. "They're almost.""Same thing!""Where are you heading with this?"Belinda chuckled and said, "Just trying to know why men like such things."Just then, Lydia's
"What kind of trouble?" Kagern couldn't help but ask. He wanted to know if she needed help that instant, or if it was something that could wait. "It's our step-mom. She wants to sell the business and flee with her children abroad. I don't know what to do."Lilyon still thought Kagern was her brother. She loved him with all her heart and she has sacrificed a lot for him. He couldn't let that snake of a woman take away what was hers. She was the true Stanley. She deserved everything.The problem was, how would he prevent that woman from selling the business? Mr. Stanley had died before he could state his will. 'I have to do something.'"Lily, don't worry? I'm coming and I'll solve that problem."Her answer surprised him."No! Don't come!""Why?""A friend of mine who gave me the news about our stepmom's plans to sell the business told me he heard her say she's planning to kill me and make it look like an accident. I'm afraid she'll do the same to you if you show up."Kagern raised his
"How dare you enter this building? Didn't I tell you never to return here, you bastard?"The woman's voice was laced with contempt, the beaming expression she wore on her face reminding Kagern how she would always smile at him while she bullied him back when he still lived with them. Today was different. He was not the same pushover who would avoid challenging her because she would kick him out of the Stanley Mansion if he did so. He was now a son to the richest man in Cereal City, a soon to be Golden Heart Hotel's solo owner. That's why he adorned a contemptuous smile of his and stepped toward her. "You have no right to tell me never to come here. That's the first thing I want you to know. Second, mind your language before you say something that you might regret besides calling me a bastard."As if his words were the greatest joke the woman had ever heard, she burst out laughing, so loud that Kagern shifted his gaze to the wall beside to avoid looking into her wide open mouth. "S
Kagern couldn't tell her about his father. That they were not brother and sister. That Mr. Stanley, her father, was just a kind man, a friend of his father's who took care of him when the world seemed to have turned its backs from him. That's why he told her the lie he had used on Belinda. It seemed to have worked, after all. "I've managed to sell a script. That gives me a few millions, a lawyer and a few security men since I'm here to deal with people who might want to murder us."Like Belinda, Lilyon didn't question him anymore. These girls trusted him and they were happy for him for his achievements.She hugged him some more seconds while saying, "Thank you for taking the risk. Thank you for coming here to fight with me. Thank you for giving me hope."Kagern patted her back and said, "Don't mention it. You're the one who paid my school fees, after all. You're the reason I acquired the knowledge and skills to write that script. I couldn't hesitate when your life was in danger."L
Kagern called Tharn and told him the situation. He then asked Lilyon to tell him the closest VIP restaurant and instructed Tharn to meet him there. Soon, he and Lilyon made it to a luxurious restaurant and entered, going deeper to sit in the far end corner, somewhere secluded and secure from the snipers. They didn't know what method Carolina would use to kill them. It was wise to make sure they were far from danger.But then again, knowing someone like Carolina and the words she just said, it was clear that she would want to torture them both physically and emotionally before killing them. So, the option was she would kidnap them.Whatever she was planning, Kagern wasn't afraid at all. Tharn and a few men occupied a few tables, pretending to order something to eat. They were looking for any sign of a kidnapper or a killer. Lilyon didn't know that. The convoy was also not far. A few men were with Lydia, others securing the perimeter. Carolina's lakies were in for a big surprise of