“Father, please calm down and let’s continue this conversation when you’re composed.” Felicia gradually regained her composure. She didn’t want the argument between the two of them to continue, especially with so many people around. Continuing would affect Mr. Swan’s reputation and her own.Unaware of Felicia’s intentions, Mr. Swan thought she wanted to dismiss him and this added fuel to the fire. He couldn’t maintain any composure or rationality anymore. His own daughter was now arguing with him in front of outsiders, which he absolutely couldn’t accept.“Do you want to kick me out?” Mr. Swan erupted, and unconsciously, his way of addressing her changed. This was the first time in his life he called Felicia “you.” However, he didn’t care about that; his sole concern now was Felicia’s disrespectful behavior. She had changed.“No, I don’t,” Felicia replied, lowering her tone of voice. She had grown tired of arguing with Mr. Swan.“You’re becoming more and more like your sister, arguing
Edward drove to Cipher’s school, parked outside, and quietly observed everything.About five minutes later, the clock chimed again, signaling 5:50 PM, the time when school was dismissed. Edward paid attention to each child in the group, finally spotting Cipher and Matt coming out. The two boys were among the last to leave the classroom. Internally, Edward couldn’t help but feel pleased when he saw Matt and Cipher walking together. The relationship between the two kids wasn’t too bad; everything seemed to progress well.But in an instant, Edward’s thoughts were shattered. Matt and Cipher only walked together for a short distance, after which Matt separated from Cipher and hurriedly joined his close friends, paying no attention to Cipher. Their interaction had been merely coincidental. Seeing this scene before him, Edward couldn’t help but ponder. He knew he had to do something.Cipher was also surprised to see Edward’s car. He hadn’t expected Edward to personally come to pick him up. W
In the morning, Edward woke up, opened the curtains, and looked outside. The weather today was beautiful, with gentle sunshine and a clear blue sky.“Today’s weather is really nice,” Edward couldn’t help but exclaim.If he were just an ordinary carefree student, he would undoubtedly have a wonderful day out with friends. However, he couldn’t afford to be carefree. He had too much to do, and he didn’t want to lead a dull life, relying on his parents for money like others. He had to be an Edward who stood above the rest, someone nobody could underestimate. He would reclaim everything that belonged to him soon.Having said that, Edward quickly got dressed. He slowly buttoned up each button on his shirt. At this moment, his phone rang, just as he had guessed; it was McKay’s number.“I’ve investigated what you asked for. Matt doesn’t have many hobbies. The only thing he’s really passionate about is plants; he’s loved exploring them since he was a child. As for things he dislikes or fears,
At the same time, at the Sherwood household.Mrs. Sherwood paced back and forth in the room, her face pale. She had received a message from an anonymous person. He demanded a substantial amount of money. Just considering the amount Jasper owed him, Mrs. Sherwood was already in a tight spot. She had borrowed money everywhere and pawned all her precious jewelry to come up with that much. But not that simple; he was greedy and wanted an additional $200,000. Adding it all up, it was certainly no less than a million dollars, and she couldn’t fathom where to find that kind of money now.The more she thought, the more frightened she became. If she didn’t give him the money, her son would end up in jail. But if she did, where would the money come from?She had considered telling her husband about this at one point, but quickly abandoned that idea. If Mr. Sherwood found out everything, the consequences would be even more severe. Jasper, his dear son, has been causing trouble by racing reckless
Mrs. Sherwood thought for a moment and then turned to Emily with a smile.“Alright, it’s not a bad idea.”Indeed, this was the best option for her. She couldn’t blame Emily and herself for taking this course of action. If anyone was at fault, it was the person deliberately pressuring her. What mother wouldn’t do everything to protect her child?Emily said nothing further, and the two Sherwood women looked at each other with a mix of sisterly affection and together planned the terrible deed they were about to carry out.On the other hand, on that day, Edward didn’t let Cipher take the bus back. Instead, he drove directly to pick up the boy. One, Edward wanted to continue observing Matt and Cipher’s current situation. Two, he needed to execute the next step in his plan.Parking in front of Brighton College, this time Edward didn’t just wait for Cipher, he walked directly towards the boy’s classroom. About five minutes later, Brighton College was dismissed. Cipher came out of the classro
On the other side, Edward gathered a group of kids and started telling them some Andersen’s fairy tales. The purpose of these stories was to divert the attention of the crowd. He wanted to create an opportunity for his “prey” to fulfill its desires.“Kids, would you like to hear a story?” Edward spoke gently to the children.“Yes, please,” the children replied in unison.“Alright, let me tell you the story of ‘The Little Match Girl.’ Once upon a time, on New Year’s Eve, there was a little girl who couldn’t go home and had to wander around, selling matches one by one. She had a hard life; her mother and grandmother had both passed away, and she had to live with a cruel father in a run-down house. On that New Year’s Eve, she had to go out and sell matches with thin, tattered clothes, and an empty stomach. She was afraid to return home because she feared her father would beat her if she had sold no matches. Feeling too cold to continue, she sat down in a small alcove between two walls. S
Cipher was extremely panicked, and dealing with a thirteen-year-old boy made the situation even more challenging. He couldn’t just abandon Matt, yet jumping into the pit to rescue him wasn’t an option either, as the hole seemed rather deep from what Cipher could observe. The only solution at this point was to call for adult help; he needed help.“Matt, wait for me a moment. I will call my older brother,” Cipher said. He hoped Matt would provide him with a useful solution, but all he heard in response was Matt’s increasingly loud cries for help: “Save me, please, don’t leave me alone. I heard some strange noises down here earlier. What if there’s an animal, or worse, a wild beast? I can’t even imagine. Please, don’t leave me; I’m so scared.”Cipher looked down at Matt and couldn’t help but feel empathy. He knew that if he were in Matt’s shoes, he wouldn’t dare stay alone, either. However, the problem was how to rescue Matt. Time was ticking, and the situation was far from ideal, especi
Cipher struggled as he carried Matt on his back. Their journey through the forest taking its toll. The distance seemed longer than ever before. The same forest that the young boy had ventured into with such enthusiasm now felt like a place he wanted to escape from.“Hang in there, Matt. We’re almost out of here,” Cipher encouraged Matt despite his overwhelming exhaustion. After all, Matt was injured, and Cipher believed he was much stronger. A boy who grew up in luxury wouldn’t endure this as well.“Okay,” Matt replied. He was clearly drained at this point.It took another fifteen minutes for Cipher to carry Matt out of the forest. Upon seeing them, everyone was alarmed. They rushed towards Cipher and Matt. Even the housekeeper, Carllota, was taken aback by the scene. She had let her guard down for a moment, and this happened? Matt got injured in the forest and was being carried by a young boy? Why hadn’t she noticed Matt’s disappearance?“Oh my, what have I been doing?” The housekeep