Even though I had calmed down, I still felt a lingering fear that gave me nightmares, too. My anxiety from the ordeal hung over me like a dark cloud. Ryan and Eleanor went to the capital instead of me. Before they left, Ryan comforted me, telling me to take a break from work. Ava's well-being was the most important thing. We needed to make sure she fully recovered.In the following days, I stayed by Ava's side, unwilling to leave. However, her condition didn't improve. She would cry and fuss whenever she fell asleep. If she didn't see Atlas, she would cry her heart out, and I couldn't console her.Several times, Atlas rushed back from the company for her.My mom felt guilty about Ava's condition. She would secretly cry when Ava was upset. Her spirits had taken a downturn.Both my dad and Atlas tried to comfort her, saying it was an accident. Even if we were more careful, it could still happen.My mom remained depressed. When Ava cried, she would clutch her head in agony. I was

After the laughter subsided, I felt a vague sense of unease.I exchanged glances with Atlas, and I knew he understood my thoughts. However, with elders and a child present, neither of us could speak openly.From what I gathered from Atlas’s calls, Dylan was dealing with the aftermath of Ava's kidnapping. Although I hadn't asked, I could tell from his conversations that despite their efforts, Dylan and his team hadn't found the man.Even if he had been lucky, jumping from such a high bridge would not have left him unharmed. However, the fact that there was still no sign of him indicated he was skilled. Despite extensive searches by the authorities and Atlas's team, he had not been found. He must have escaped.As long as he was on the loose, the threat remained. He was a potential danger. Who was to say he wouldn't threaten us again someday?It seemed he was targeting me, or at least, I was his goal. But I was sure that I had never met him. Ava and Atlas's account of what happen

His husky voice murmured in my ear, "How long do you plan on avoiding me?""I'm not..." I tried to defend myself, but as soon as the words left my lips, I felt I had misspoken. We were already so familiar with each other, both physically and emotionally. Any intimacy between us was a tempting lure."Thank you for saving my Ava," I said, hoping to shift our awkwardness."Not just your Ava," he replied, his eyes gleaming affectionately. "Ava has a good heart. It's you who's a little heartless.""I'm not a five-year-old child. I can't bother you!" I reluctantly said. After all, I hadn't overcome the hurdle of him being with Harmony."Nonsense!" Atlas stood up, feigning anger. He moved the chair next to him and pulled me into his arms, settling us both on the beach chair.It had been a long time since we were this close, and it left me feeling uneasy. My heart pounded against my chest.Atlas, his handsome face serious, gazed at me. "Chloe, I know you've been through a lot."Tea

Atlas was probably surprised by my emotional outburst. He nodded and said, "Yes, that ‘Rory,’ who died in the plane crash with my parents, also had a snake tattoo."The news sent a shiver down my spine. "So you mean, the one who died in the crash wasn't Rory? Then who was he?"I couldn't explain why I was so intrigued by Rory. Whenever his name came up, I felt an urge to dig deeper.It was similar to the first time Grayson mentioned Lucille's name, and I felt a sense of déjà vu."This is the part I've always hesitated to make sense of, but one thing is certain. Rory didn't have that tattoo!" Atlas said, "Later, I managed to obtain the evidence from the investigation report.""Is this what made you suspect that your parents' crash wasn't just an accident?" I looked at Atlas. The awkwardness between us from earlier had dissipated, and I straightened up.Atlas brushed aside the stray strands of hair caught in the breeze. His eyes were deep, and his voice was low. "I spent a whole de

I immediately felt flustered. It seemed like the more I feared, the more it came true. This was what I was worried about the most, and now, it happened.I clenched the phone and hurried to the beach to find Atlas, urging him to book a flight back to Foswood as soon as possible.After hearing what happened, Atlas comforted me and discussed it with my dad. To ensure that Ava could completely forget the kidnapping, my parents would continue to stay on Celestis Island for some time. Atlas arranged for someone to care for them. He and I flew back to Foswood.Before boarding the plane, I had Grayson check what had happened to Ivanna. Lauren had urged me to return as soon as possible without explaining the entire story. I had a feeling it wasn't that simple.On the plane, Atlas reassured me repeatedly, saying he would have Dylan investigate.We landed in Foswood at 7 p.m. I quickly called Lauren. She said she was waiting for us at the Vanderberg Palace.Atlas's driver came to pick us

I asked Atlas to wait for a call from Dylan or Grayson. Then, I left Vanderberg Palace with Lauren and headed to Amethyst Apartments.Lauren was anxious on the way, saying, “Thank goodness you’re back. I was worried on my own. Oh, how’s Ava?”“She’s okay now, but Atlas thinks she might be traumatized. That’s why he arranged for my parents to stay with her for a while longer.”Lauren glanced at me while driving. “I had no choice but to call you. I’m sorry for disturbing your time with your family. You finally got a chance for a vacation, but…”“Don’t think that way. How could I ignore Ivanna? Anyway, it was about time I returned. After all, Atlas is a busy man, and I shouldn’t always expect him to be with me. Still, Ava’s very attached to him. She kept asking when we’d be back when we were leaving.”Lauren nodded approvingly and said, “I can see how much Atlas cares for Ava. He does more than Matthew.”I laughed at her statement, “Hahaha, Matthew seems to have forgotten he even ha

After Bella brought food for us, Dylan and Grayson knocked and entered. Atlas said nothing and only looked at them.Dylan said, “Ms. Ivanna had dinner with her colleagues at The Vine the night before yesterday. Their dinner ended at 10:45 pm, and the surveillance footage showed her car leaving at 10:57 pm.”Lauren squinted and interjected, “Yeah, I called her around 10:20 at night. It was noisy on her end.”Dylan added, “When she was on Sebster Street at 11:20 pm, she parked on the roadside for five minutes. I checked the phone records and found that she had received an anonymous call. Soon after, her phone was turned off. The call must’ve come from a temporary phone card.“There was a ten-minute blackout that stopped the surveillance recording when she drove past Rusvil District. We lost track of Ms. Ivanna’s car when the power returned. Our people are searching for her car now.” Dylan looked at Atlas.“What’s the reason for the power outage?” Atlas furrowed his brows.“The elec

Although it was midnight, Foswood remained bright. The nightlife here was at its peak at this hour. However, we became increasingly restless as we waited at Vanderberg Palace. We knew Ivanna would face more danger with each passing minute.When Atlas’s phone rang, Lauren and I perked up and looked at him. When he answered, his furrowed brows relaxed, “Is it just Jared’s people there?”I guessed Jared had taken action when I heard that.Atlas hung up and looked at me, saying, “You and Lauren stay here. I’ll be back in a moment.”“Where are you going?” I urgently asked, “Did you receive any solid information?”Atlas explained, “It’s still uncertain, so just wait for my message. I’ll immediately inform you of any updates.”“What do you mean ‘immediately?’ That means you must tell me what you know now!” I stared at Atlas, refusing to yield.“Chloe, you know these people don’t care about consequences. This time—”I interjected angrily, “That’s why I have to come! Ivanna’s in danger,

When we stood outside, I told Atlas, “I’ll ride with Lauren.”Atlas nodded knowingly and entered his car while I entered Lauren’s. On the way, she remarked, “Stella’s involved with Ivanna’s disappearance.”During the drive, Grayson called, “Chloe, don’t follow Mr. Atlas’s path. Trinity’s people are following you.”I was alarmed and quickly told Lauren, “Don’t follow Atlas. Trinity’s people are tailing us.”I couldn’t help but admire Trinity’s caution and cunning behavior. Immediately after, I called Atlas and explained the situation. He gave me an address and instructed me to return to Amethyst Apartments to distract them.If my memory serves correctly, the address Atlas gave me was for a dilapidated building in Prespoint District that someone bought and converted into a nightclub. The hotel at the same building was on the tenth floor and above, with a peculiar name—Phantom.I could only follow his instructions and tell Lauren to drive to Amethyst Apartments. She cursed, “That ju

I suddenly realized something and exchanged a glance with Atlas. We exclaimed simultaneously, “Upstairs!”We turned and raced back inside. When we burst into the lobby, we saw the elevator already descending. Immediately after, Atlas pressed the button for another elevator.As we, Dylan, and the others entered the elevator, my phone rang. I quickly answered and could hear Grayson’s urgent voice, “Trinity just left Vanderberg Palace and is heading toward Phantom now!”I looked nervously at Atlas, and he patted my shoulder, saying, “Don’t panic. Let’s find Ivanna first.”I clenched his hand, determined to get Ivanna out if she was up there. When the elevator reached the top floor, we hurried out. As expected, the other elevator had stopped on the same floor but was already empty.Atlas assessed the direction and pulled me to the left, where we found a secure passage. We rushed inside and headed to the rooftop. It was spacious and bright as day due to the lightbox on the building’s r