"You… Both of you… what are you?" Zanjo quivered, hugging his brother's remains tightly as he backed away from Drake and Lucille. "Surviving the fire is already a miracle for me, but..."He continued to tremble, his eyes wide with disbelief, as he stared at Drake and Lucille."How… how did you do that?" he stammered, his voice barely a whisper. "Jumping from the 20th floor... surviving the fire... it's impossible."Drake smirked, his demeanor unapologetically confident. "Let's just say we have our ways," he replied cryptically.Lucille stepped forward, her expression gentle yet firm. "Zanjo, we understand this is difficult to comprehend. But there are things beyond our understanding, things we can't explain with logic alone."Zanjo shook his head in disbelief. "But... but I saw it with my own eyes. You both... you’re doing something extremely impossible.""Sometimes, the truth is stranger than fiction," Lucille said softly. "But right now, our priority is keeping you safe and finding
"What did you say?" Zanjo's tone bristled with offense as he confronted Drake.Drake's hands moved in a slow, mocking clap, his expression a mix of amusement and annoyance. "I said, Are you some kind of saint? Sprouting forgiveness like it's your job?"Zanjo's gaze remained fixed on Drake, his irritation evident. "I'm no saint, Drake," he responded evenly but firmly. "I just refuse to let hatred consume me. I still hold onto the belief in redemption, even for someone like Zack."Drake's features hardened, his frustration evident in the set of his jaw. "Redemption? After everything he's done? Zanjo, you're being naive. Zack is a lost cause, and we need to make him pay for his crimes."Zanjo shook his head, his resolve unwavering. "I can't join you on that path, Drake. Revenge won't bring back the ones we've lost or heal the wounds Zack has inflicted. I choose to believe in the power of forgiveness."Drake's eyes flashed with anger, though he quickly masked it with a forced smile. "Suit
The night after Drake and Lucille hastily departed from the Royal Eleanor Hotel, Eleanor promptly instructed Cedric, the spy hired from Bigas’s agency, to discreetly tail them without Aunt Ling and the others catching on. Cedric shadowed them smoothly until they reached the KHG Hotel, but lost track as soon as the two entered."What do you mean you lost them?" Eleanor queried in a hushed tone, tucked under her covers on her bed, ensuring Aunt Ling remained oblivious to her activities.“They suddenly disappeared in the crowd,” Cedric responded, equally puzzled.Eleanor sighed, releasing her frustration.“Find them or at least investigate why they went there. I want to know why they resorted to lying to me.”“Yes, madam.”Eleanor concealed her burner phone under her pillow before sitting up cautiously. Her toe barely touched the floor when the door connecting her room to Aunt Ling’s room swung open.“Privacy is really not a thing for her,” she grumbled.“What is it, miss? Do you need som
Eleanor seethed with anger towards Zack White. She had buried her resentment, believing Zack to be dead. Yet, the revelation of his survival, concealed by her own brother, reignited a fierce fury within her."How could he hide this from me?" Eleanor's voice trembled with frustration as memories of Zack's deeds flooded her mind—the pain he had caused her and her brother. She had thought she had moved on from the trauma he inflicted.But now, with Zack's existence confirmed, her feelings resurfaced with a vengeance. Rage stung anew, cutting deep into her heart."I trusted Drake to be honest with me," Eleanor muttered bitterly. "But he kept this from me, just like he kept so many other things hidden. How could he do this to me?"Her hands clenched into fists, nails digging into her palms. Anger and hurt pulsed through her veins, overwhelming her senses. She struggled to contain the whirlwind of emotions raging within her, feeling as if her world had been turned upside down once again."T
Lucille assisted Eleanor in packing her things. Despite sharing the same room and working on the task together, an eerie silence hung between them."I feel like I'm missing something," Lucille mused, stealing a glance at Eleanor. "You're unusually distant too.""What?" Eleanor questioned, sensing Lucille's gaze on her."Are you truly okay with living apart from your brother?" Lucille inquired."I'm not, but it's more frustrating to keep staying with him when he's like this," Eleanor responded.Lucille continued folding clothes, her mind wrestling with unspoken thoughts. Finally, she sighed and added, "We've got to talk about this, Eleanor. You can't keep shutting me out."Eleanor avoided eye contact, a pained expression flickering across her face. "There's just so much going on, Lucille. It's not that simple."Lucille nodded, her concern palpable. "Fine, but we can't pretend like everything's normal. We need to confront the issues, whatever they are."Eleanor sighed, realizing Lucille
Lucille and Eleanor froze for a moment, surprised that Drake had appeared in front of them out of nowhere."What is it that I can't know?" Drake asked. Despite the suspicion in his tone, he wasn't actually suspecting anything about the two. He simply thought the two sweet women in his life had their own little secrets, a thing he found cute."It's a surprise for you. Why would we tell you?" Lucille said."You're ruining our plan," Eleanor added.Drake chuckled, feeling happy to hear that they were preparing a surprise for him, even though his birthday was still a month away."Okay, fine. I'll leave you girls alone," he said, taking Eleanor's bag to lead them to their car."You look happy sending me away," Eleanor commented."I am not. But I am relieved that you want a vacation. I would be totally happy if you would accept the people I want to protect you," Drake said."I am not hearing anything," Eleanor said, rolling her eyes.Eleanor and Drake spent the whole trip from Magrao to the
Eleanor bid farewell to her brother, acting as though she wouldn't see him for a long time. She discreetly glanced at Lucille before boarding the ship with Aunt Ling, who was unaware of her plan.It took them four hours to reach the island, where a strict entry procedure awaited them at the port before they could enter the gates."Aunt Ling, let them go in first," Eleanor suggested."Who? Your guards? That's not possible," Aunt Ling said."I want everything settled before I enter. Look at how many bags we have. I'll feel dizzy seeing them busy around," she reasoned."But you didn't feel dizzy when everyone was busy at home," Aunt Ling grumbled inwardly, looking irritated as usual but still forcing herself to smile. "We have to go inside together anyway," she added.Eleanor gestured towards the bustling street outside the gate, where inns, shops, and restaurants lined the thoroughfare dedicated to tourists and those denied entry to the main town on the island. Ships only arrived and de
At the port, Drake watched the ship fade into the distance when Marianne suddenly arrived, a sight that struck Lucille as unusual."Why is she here?" Lucille asked, arching her brows at Drake."I told you we have to catch Zack this time," Drake responded."Now? Without even making sure Ely arrives at the island first?" Lucille's confusion was evident at Drake's abrupt plan, which could potentially disrupt her own arrangement to meet with Eleanor later."She'll be fine. She's with Aunt Ling," he assured."Why do you trust Aunt Ling so much?" Lucille inquired."She's already proven herself trustworthy, so you don't have to worry," he replied."When did she prove it? You hired her just recently," Lucille pressed."A long time ago...""Excuse me, but can we focus?" Marianne interjected, subtly nudging Lucille aside without Drake's notice. "Kale Justinbaste returned to Bellrox. He's meeting with the directors.""You can have him all you want," Lucille thought inwardly. While it would be be