「Abyanabad Santa Maria Psychiatric Hospital,」
Adrian Desmond and Walter Klein t here. Walter hadn’t expected Adrian to co in person, so he guessed that the identities of those two people must be extraordinary.
"...Sixth Master, we are checking, and we believe there will be results soon," Walter reported on the latest developnts.
"Those two people, one is called Maxwell Lee and the other Benjamin. They are brothers and used to work for my uncle," Adrian told Walter their identities.
Walter asked in surprise, "Did they take Miss Carpenter away because they couldn’t bear her being in a psychiatric hospital? She’s been there for over half a year. Why would they only take her now?"
Adrian had a bad feeling but no clues. He wondered if his recent happy life had angered the heavens, prompting them to test and strike him down.
"Sixth Master, what should we do now?"
Adrian glanced at the cara overhead and said, "We’ll talk when we get back!"
"Yes!"
After getting into the bulletproof car, Adrian repeatedly watched the video from the hospital. He was certain that the two people in the video were the Lee brothers he knew.
How long has it been since I last saw them? he wondered. Almost ten, nearly twenty years... The Lee brothers have aged; their hair has turned white. Back then, in my young eyes, they seed as tall as mountains. Now, I’m taller and bigger than them.
"Have you contacted Alice?"
"No!"
Walter thought for a mont and said, "Should we send more people to look for her?"
"No need. She’ll co out when she wants to."
Adrian turned off the iPad, took out his phone, and called Sienna Johnson. Sienna was having dinner with Javier Jervois at the ti.
"Are you done? Shall I pick you up?"
"Yes, that’s fine. I’m at the Imperial Hotel. Call when you arrive."
"How did you end up eating there?"
Sienna’s so frugal, Adrian mused. I hardly need to do any business; she could save a gold mine all by herself.
"I’m with a client."
"Is everything going smoothly?"
"I’ll tell you when I get back." It was inconvenient for Sienna to say too much in front of Javier.
"Understood. I’m on my way and should be there in about half an hour."
"Alright, I’ll wait for you."
After Adrian hung up, his phone suddenly rang again. Thinking Sienna had forgotten sothing and called back, he answered without looking.
"Sienna, what’s wrong? Is there anything else?"
"Little Adrian!"
His mind reeled. He clenched the phone so tightly he nearly crushed it. "Un—Uncle!" Adrian stamred, his voice strained.
That was Uncle’s voice... but how could it be? My uncle died a long ti ago. That voice must be fake!
"Who are you?" Adrian demanded, his mind struggling to process. Even if the voice sounded exactly like his uncle’s, he couldn’t accept that it was him.
"Little Adrian, you ungrateful whelp! You don’t even rember !" the other party scolded harshly.
"Uncle, is it really you?"
"Who do you think it is? A ghost?"
"But Uncle, didn’t you already..."
"Did you see my corpse? You claim I’m dead? Or are you just hoping I’d die sooner so you can bully my only daughter and elope with that wretched woman?" Elliot Carpenter snarled, gritting his teeth.
"Uncle, did you take lanie from the hospital today?"
"Yes! Who else in this world cares if she lives or dies? Adrian, I was blind to entrust lanie to you!" Elliot continued, his voice thick with regret and fury.
Adrian remained silent. He had indeed wronged lanie. He’d sworn to take good care of her, to marry her. In the end, he broke his promise.
"I’m sorry, Uncle!"
"Sorry? You don’t need to apologize to . lanie is the one you’ve wronged the most!"
"..."
"I’m at the Sea View Residence. Co over. I have sothing to say to you," Elliot told Adrian, suppressing the fury in his heart.
The Sea View Residence was his uncle’s family’s forr ho. It had been abandoned after Elliot’s downfall.
"I’ll be right there!"
The call ended with a sharp CLICK, as if the person on the other end refused to utter another word.
Adrian stared at his phone, stunned. The Night Owl, whom I shot through the heart, is alive. My uncle, dead for nearly twenty years, is also alive... He wiped his face, a throbbing headache setting in. How many impossible things are there in this world?
"Sixth Master, I heard you call out ’Uncle’ just now. Was that Miss Carpenter’s father?" Walter asked curiously.
"I only have one uncle," Adrian replied.
"So, lanie’s father..." Walter pieced it together. "But didn’t he pass away?"
"I don’t know. I want to find out what happened too."
Walter was calr than Adrian, his thinking more comprehensive. "Mr. Carpenter wants you to go over there. What for?"
Adrian smiled bitterly. "He adores lanie. Knowing Uncle’s temper, he’ll probably beat up."
"And you’re still going, Sixth Master?"
"For years, I’ve felt guilty about lanie. Sending her to the psychiatric hospital was a last resort. If Uncle beats , I might actually feel a bit better. After all, I’m the one who let them down."
Walter asked, "What if Mr. Carpenter forces you to marry Miss Carpenter?"
Adrian said firmly, "I don’t love lanie. I won’t marry her!"
In Abyanabad, polygamy is legal, and I see nothing wrong with it, Adrian mused. If Sienna didn’t mind, I would marry lanie. It would just be supporting another woman, and I can afford it. However, Sienna can’t tolerate other won; that’s her bottom line. We’ve co so far, there’s no way I’d be foolish enough to marry lanie. Besides, if I even entertained the thought, who knows how Sienna would react? At this point, Adrian was genuinely afraid of Sienna.
"Then you’d better not go, Sixth Master."
"Why?"
"This is a trickery banquet. If you go, do you think Mr. Carpenter will let you off easily?" Walter reasoned.
Adrian thought for a mont and said, "I have to go!"
"Sixth Master!"
Walter wanted to persuade him further, but Adrian cut him off. "Don’t say any more. I know what I’m doing!"
I’m not an ungrateful person, Adrian thought. It’s just that many things were beyond my control.
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