Richard's POVRichard carefully carried Naomi to a quiet, secluded spot, away from prying eyes. He gently set her down near where he stood, then took off his shirt and spread it on the ground. "Sit here for a moment," he said, helping Naomi to sit down. Though the girl looked confused, she obeyed Richard and sat there, watching him as he stood up again. "I'll be back soon," he said before hurrying away. As promised, he returned shortly afterward, holding a first-aid kit. Naomi gave Richard a puzzled look. She hadn't expected to find someone like him among her father's workers. Honestly, she was quite impressed—not only was Richard handsome with a pleasant voice, but he was also acting like a true gentleman toward her. "Where did you get that?" she asked, glancing at the first-aid kit in Richard's hands. "This?" Richard lifted the box slightly before sitting down beside her. "It's from the workroom. Sometimes it's used for minor injuries. First-aid treatment," he explained
"You're here?" Naomi, who had been wandering around searching for Richard, finally found him busy moving packages from a delivery truck.Richard quickly put the box down and tried to shield Naomi from the view of the other workers. "What's wrong? Why are you here, miss?" She shouldn't have been there, and Richard anxiously glanced around, worried that Naomi's overseers might see them together, which could expose their closeness.If anyone found out about their relationship, it could ruin Richard's plan to get close to Naomi or worse, create problems for him."I came looking for you." Like him, Naomi nervously scanned their surroundings, then quickly grabbed Richard's arm and led him away.Richard let himself be pulled along, though he feigned confusion. "Miss... miss? Where are you taking me?" he asked in a panicked tone.Naomi kept hold of his hand, glancing back briefly. "Stop talking. You'll be fine with me. I won't put your life at risk." She spoke with such seriousness that Richa
Richard's POV"Kevin," Naomi called out to Richard, who was busy working, ignoring the curious stares of the other workers who peeked at them.Lately, with their increasing closeness, Naomi didn’t hesitate to show up and whisk him away to accompany her or be her conversation partner. Richard had once told her that he might not always be able to accompany her during the day since he had to focus on his work.However, whatever Naomi did, Richard didn’t know. The next day, there were no complaints when he disappeared in the middle of working hours and stayed away for a while just to listen to Naomi talk about various things, most of which were endless complaints despite him being there for days. It seemed like the woman never ran out of things to complain about."Yes, Miss? What is it?" He immediately left work and approached Naomi, who was waiting for him.Naomi pointed toward the car, waiting for them. "Grab your things and come with me." She looked at Richard, who seemed momentarily c
"I don't know what else my father needs until he made me involved in this exhausting escape. I'm really fed up." Naomi passionately vented her frustrations about her current situation.Richard glanced at her, then shifted his gaze away. The word "fed up" she uttered made him involuntarily draw a tight breath. He knew that feeling well because he, too, felt utterly fed up with his life. But what else could he do besides living his life well and trying to maintain what he had?After all he had been through, he knew better than anyone the meaning of being fed up, and had tried as hard as he could in every aspect of his life—whether it was the effort to build something under pressure, to gain his parents' trust, or to be acknowledged. He had tried far more than the woman in front of him had.At least her father, as far as Richard had learned, was kinder than his own father when it came to affection. Her father protected Naomi’s existence and didn’t involve her directly until now. Meanwhil
Smith stared at his tablet screen with a serious expression. Something he received prompted him to rush to the IT room in the same building where he was. “Check the message I just sent immediately,” he commanded as he entered and approached the team.Three individuals in front of their computers glanced briefly at Smith before quickly starting the task. “Is this a message from Mr. Richard, sir?” Nick, who was handling the message, asked while focusing on his screen.Smith nodded and positioned himself beside Nick to observe his work. “Yes, it appears so. From the contents, I’m certain this is from Mr. Richard,” he said confidently.Smith had reason to believe this. Even though they needed to be cautious and verify the authenticity of any sudden messages claiming to be from Richard, something in the wording made Smith sure it was him. Richard used a specific language when communicating with Smith, which only the two would understand, even if Richard was not physically present.“Mr. Ric
"So, Richard has returned?" Rachel sprang up from her seat in surprise, her usually calm face lighting up with joy. "Are you sure he’s back?" she asked Wayne, still standing by after delivering the news.Wayne, who was stationed at the Thompson residence due to the ongoing safety concerns for Rachel and the lack of further instructions, had just received word from Smit regarding the possibility of Richard being found."Yes, ma'am." He nodded. "The news isn’t entirely clear yet, but Sir Smit is verifying the message he received by heading to the location where it originated." Wayne relayed the information exactly as he had received it.Rachel’s face relaxed with relief. She had spent days anxiously awaiting news about Richard, worried and restless. She had no idea whether Richard was ill or in a difficult situation.This time, she hoped that the message was from Richard and not some cruel trick. "Take me there, to where they are confirming his whereabouts. I want to see him in person,"
Richard adjusted his expression to appear cheerful as possible, attempting to deceive the person who had just caught him. As he discreetly tucked the device back into his pocket, he asked, "Nothing, sir. What do you mean?" while keeping his gaze fixed on Adam standing before him.Adam stared at him intently, clearly suspicious of Richard, as if trying to uncover something Richard was hiding. “Talking about strange things with the young lady again, I’ve noticed this every time we meet. Didn’t I warn you to stay away from her?” he emphasized sternly.Every time Adam encountered Richard and Naomi together, it disturbed him. The closeness between them felt strange. Naomi wasn’t from their circle; she was the daughter of their superior, someone they were supposed to protect. Yet Richard frequently spent time with her, treating her like a peer and exchanging ideas with her freely, as if they were equals.The sight of their growing closeness made Adam uncomfortable. "You keep ignoring my war
"Ah, why are they suddenly moving so fast?" he muttered in frustration.His current situation was different than expected, though he had anticipated such a possibility beforehand. Something he had planned might not go as expected, but this time, it was beyond his imagination.Richard thought the main problem would be dealing with Naomi. He had faced difficulties with her before—Naomi was somewhat unpredictable. Sometimes, she would oppose his words too much, making him wonder whether she would comply with his suggestion to go on vacation, especially since he had declined her invitation to join her.But it turned out the problem lay with Adam. Adam, who had been around Naomi this whole time, watched Richard's behaviour closely. He was full of suspicion towards Richard, and it was this suspicion that led to the current situation."I need to get out of this mess quickly," Richard thought, searching for a way out. His eyes scanned for an escape route, but he found none.Behind him, he hea