Edward didn't follow him immediately. He was still processing what Darius had said about the perpetrator looking "gentle and harmless". Didn't this mean he already knew who was behind this? He hadn't expected Darius to figure out who the mastermind was after only taking a few glances at the scene of the accident; no one had even helped him! He obviously didn't want to waste time on this anymore, though. He made a beeline for the landfill.Pearl followed him silently. Darius sighed when he saw how anxious she was and patted her on the shoulder. "You're the third most popular woman at Kingston University; it's not like you to act like this. You used to be confident and proud; in the past, if you had any questions, you'd ask me straightaway instead of hesitating here and there."Pearl smiled wanly but didn't say anything. Darius sighed again. After going through so much together, he didn't think of Pearl as a mere acquaintance anymore—she was also a friend. He didn't want to see his fri
Edward heard someone following him. As an enlightened martial artist, he didn't need to turn around to know it was Darius. He could even go so far as to say he could sense Darius' emotions. However, he continued marching ahead without faltering, taking a deep breath when he reached the correct spot. Then, he turned to face Darius with a grimace. "Sir, this is it." Though he was glad they were finally getting down to business, there was no changing the fact that they were in the middle of a landfill. As an enlightened martial artist, the stench was even more potent because of his enhanced senses, and he quickly bent down to start digging through the trash.Darius' lips twitched at this. He approached Edward and slowly raised a hand, making Edward stop. Edward didn't know what Darius was up to but straightened up anyway, looking confused. Darius said, "We're enlightened martial artists." Edward nodded, still looking puzzled. Darius sighed without saying anything else, merely tugging E
They're all from wealthy families, and their reputations mean everything to them," Darius said. Edward nodded, understanding what he meant. Darius didn't pay him much attention, saying, "Now, go through the trash like I'm doing it—it's much faster than digging through countless piles." The moment his words fell, his eyes lit up, and he reached out to catch a folder falling from the sky. He tucked it into his coat, then continued looking for the other one. Darius was honestly surprised to see the folder was still in pristine condition, and he smiled, feeling much more optimistic about the matter. He sped up his search.Edward smiled at this and joined him, finding the second folder shortly after that. They sighed in relief as Edward reached out to catch the folder. Then, he handed it to Darius with both hands, who skimmed through it to see whether anything was missing. Then, he smiled and tucked it together with the earlier folder.Now that they'd found the records, Darius turned to l
"Especially since you've just committed murder," Darius said flatly.Marion blew out another mouthful of smoke. At the same time, she flung the cigarette and made it land neatly in the ashtray. Then, she smiled and said, "You know, I thought you'd say you thought I was long dead."Darius nodded. "Indeed, the thought did cross my mind. But I suppose the fact that you're standing before me is all the evidence I need."Marion raised an eyebrow, and her smile widened, making her look rather fanatical. There was also…a hint of admiration in her eyes. She stood up and said, "I honestly didn't expect you to return, Darius. What should I make of this? Should I say Henry's lucky he won't have to die today, or should I lament my misfortune?"Darius tucked his hands in his pockets and looked at her calmly. "Earlier, I thought you'd chosen to join my side; I thought I could trust you. I only returned to handle the problem with my records." He held his folder up.Marion's jaw dropped as she stared
"I can make it seem like nothing ever happened to your records." She sat on the floor, her hair messy and clothes disheveled. Her eyes were determined and confident, though. Marion felt her offer was one they couldn't resist, and she was stunned to hear Darius snort contemptuously."I thought I'd made myself clear, especially since you were standing so close to me the last time I said this, but it seems I overestimated you. I'll only say this once more, so listen closely. I couldn't care less about my records and Kingston University because I have enough money to buy the university itself. The same can't be said for your mysterious backer, though." He gave her a scornful look.Marion's breathing hitched as despair washed over her. She knew she was out of bargaining chips. Her eyes turned red as she shakily asked, "I-is there nothing I can do to salvage the situation?"Darius raised an eyebrow and looked at her like she was a fool. "I have to say, it's rare to meet someone as dumb as y
Darius was gone before Pearl knew it. She stared in the direction he'd left, then stomped her foot before turning to head to her dorm. Darius probably didn't need her anymore, and she'd probably be causing more trouble for him by hanging around here. Unfortunately for her, today was destined to be a day filled with annoyances—as she made her way to her dorm, two hooligans blocked her way. She looked at them in confusion. "I don't think we've met. Why are you standing in my way?"They burst into raucous laughter. "Drop the act and stop pretending you don't know us. Now, tell us where you've taken our boss to!"At their words, Pearl's confusion cleared up. Then, her expression turned scornful. "She's dead, and I doubt you two will end up any better than her." Her eyes were frosty, which only served to agitate the two hooligans more.They pointed at her angrily and roared, "How dare you wish death upon our boss! You're the one who deserves to die!" One of them rolled his sleeves up and
Edward didn't hesitate any longer. He ran in the direction Darius' life force was coming from, knowing it would lead him to Darius. When he was sure Darius was somewhere nearby, he called, "Mr. Reid?"Darius' voice immediately rang out from a nearby path. "I'm here."Edward looked around. When he was sure there wasn't a way for him to walk to Darius, he glanced around to make sure no one was watching him, then channeled his life force to his legs and levitated himself shakily. He landed before Darius a few seconds later and asked, "Mr. Reid, what happened?"Darius' face was frosty. Edward lapsed into silence when he saw this, feeling nervous. Darius sighed when he sensed Edward's nerves; he didn't want to stress Edward out, so he tried to keep his tone neutral as he said, "Pearl's gone. I don't know whether she's in danger now."Edward's breathing hitched. He turned to look at Darius anxiously. "What should we do now?"Darius took a deep breath. "She should be safe for now; I don't th
An idea formed in Edward's mind. It was wild, but it seemed to be the only logical explanation. As the Reid family's villa came into view, he pushed the thought to the back of his mind. Once again, he was in awe of Darius' speed. It would've taken them a full three hours to get from Kingston University to the villa if they'd driven. Zipping through the air with Darius had taken less than twenty minutes. In fact, Edward was positive that Darius would've moved faster if not for the fact that he had Edward with him.Darius landed on the ground, his expression frosty. He released Edward, who quickly moved to stand behind Darius. Edward knew Darius' blood was boiling, and he sucked in a deep breath, not daring to make a sound lest it pissed Darius off even more. Of course, he knew Darius wouldn't take his temper out on him, but he still didn't have the nerve to provoke him. He only relaxed when Darius said, "Alright, you don't need to be so on edge. My fury has nothing to do with you." T