Olivia tried her best to put on a smile. "That's fine."Connor looked like a different person now. He had changed out of branded clothes and into the clothes that belonged to Martha's children.Olivia wondered how many children had worn the same clothes. There were even patches sewn on older patches.The clothes were thicker, firmer, and also warmer.Connor didn't seem to mind, though. He followed behind Olivia like a little puppy.Sometimes, he would curiously try to chase after cats or pull at the grass by the roadside. Everything here was new to him.Olivia had followed him onto the boat with the resolve that she might lose her life. Hence, she quickly got used to the island.It wasn't as advanced as the city, but it was much cleaner.As Olivia held Connor in her arms, enjoying the breeze, she suddenly had the urge to just live here.But she knew very well that it would be a matter of time before they were found, even if the island wasn't marked on the map.One day, Ethan'
Looking at the large piece of meat on her plate, Olivia didn't know what to say.Tom and Jerry were still growing up. They praised Martha's cooking as they enjoyed the meal.Seeing that Olivia wasn't eating, Jack explained, "We only have limited food on the island. Just put up with it."Tom bit his lip. He didn't want to, but still, he picked up the meat from his plate. Then, he placed it on Olivia's plate."Ms. Olivia, you're too pale. Please eat more."Seeing the meat piling on her plate, Olivia felt her heart breaking even more.When one was lacking love, even a tiny bit of kindness could light up their whole world."Sorry, I'm not hungry yet. You guys should continue."Olivia left with Connor in her arms. The island in winter looked even lonelier under the moonlight.Not long after, someone sat down next to her. It was none other than the quiet Jack."You won't find any food if you get hungry later.""Yeah, I know. I'm not hungry."The man produced a small piece of mous
Jack looked at Olivia in confusion. Olivia didn't look back at him. Staring into the distance, she continued, "To be honest, I didn't mean it at first when I said I wanted to help you guys."As soon as you get involved with that person, you can never get away in one piece."The moment you get the ransom, you'll fall into his trap. When that happens, not just you three, but everyone on the island will be in trouble."When Jack heard that, he subconsciously touched the claw blade he hid at the side. Ignoring it, Olivia continued, "But that was until I saw the truth. You guys live in poverty, but your hearts have remained cheerful."The old people in this village don't even have enough money to treat their sicknesses. A lot of them died because of that."Jerry wants to learn to draw, but he can't even bring himself to use a precious pencil. Martha cut her softest clothes into a diaper for a child she doesn't know."I think I can understand you a little. You're probably not from ar
Olivia didn't know what Jack was trying to do. She watched as he picked up the flashlight, which shone weakly.The dim light swayed along with Jack's steps, but it managed to light up the space in front of her.Jack led Olivia to the kitchen. Putting on an apron, he swiftly prepared the ingredients. He soaked the leftover bread in an egg mixture, then placed it on the pan while adding some bacon and peas.Olivia watched the man's tall figure under the dim flashlight. He whipped up the dish in an instant.The leaping flames licked at the bottom of the pan. The fire reflected off Jack's metal mask, reminding Olivia of Ethan from the past.No matter how late it was, Ethan would get up and cook something for her when she got hungry.Soon, some delicious eggy bread was served. Jack even plated it nicely for her."Eat. No matter how much time you have left, I hope that it'll be even longer than expected."Holding back tears, Olivia lowered her head and ate the eggy bread.The kind
Jack also bought a new set of clothes for Connor.Overjoyed, the children kept shouting, "It's the new year! It's the new year!"Olivia never thought that she would be counting down to the new year on a special island. She didn't expect to spend the occasion with a group of strangers either.She even had Connor in her arms.After the celebratory dinner, the children gathered for fireworks at sunset. They even stuffed a sparkler or two in Connor's hands.Olivia took many photos of Connor today. Her phone ran out of battery a long time ago.Fortunately, Jack bought a charger for her. After connecting the charger to the solar panels, Olivia managed to charge her phone.As soon as Olivia snapped a photo, a smile appeared on her face.At that moment, she forgot about the suffering she endured when Ethan locked her up. She just wanted to be wild and free for once."Ms. Olivia, come and set off the fireworks with us.""Sure."Whistling, the fireworks shot into the sky and exploded.
At first, Ethan also thought that it was most probably some bold kidnappers. As days passed, he got less confident about his guess. He feared that it might be his enemies.He was worried that a box containing their bodies or body parts would show up on his doorstep one day.The current situation was like casting a stone into water. There was no reaction, and no one knew what was happening in the water.Ethan's patience and wits, which he took pride in, began to crumble as time passed.He didn't dare fall asleep. Once he did, the bloody scenes he experienced before would have Olivia and Connor in them.On the seventh day, Ethan finally collapsed. He hadn't eaten or drunk anything in days, and he didn't even sleep.He watched the surveillance footage time and again, so much so that his eyes were bloodshot. The men he sent out never brought back any useful info either.On the second day of the new year, Brent found Ethan lying unconscious in the bathroom. He hastily called over the
Madam Burgess hastily gave Ethan a quick rundown of how she found Connor. Ethan frowned even deeper. "You didn't see anyone other than him?""No. When I found Master Connor, he was crying. He was also holding a hydrogen balloon in his hand. Oh, right, he also kept calling Mama.""Mama?" Ethan thought.Connor had never been willing to call Marina Mama, so the person he was calling for couldn't have been her. It could only be Olivia.Brent, who had already brought men to investigate the scene, reported to Ethan right away. "Mr. Miller, I've checked the surveillance."Ms. Fordham was the one who sent Master Connor back. She purposefully left Master Connor on Madam Burgess' way home from grocery shopping."That way, Madam Burgess would notice him.""Was there anyone else besides her?" Ethan asked."No.""Keep investigating."Ethan was even more confused now. Could it be just like Marina said, that Olivia had hired people to kidnap Connor?If she wanted to threaten him, why would
Meanwhile, Olivia was leaving via the underground passage. She noticed that all the exits of the mall were sealed.Just as expected, Ethan had no intentions of letting her go.Ethan must have thought that she was shopping at the mall, so he immediately sent his men to seal the mall. He wanted to block her off.But he didn't know that she had already changed her clothes and left through the safety corridor.She went to the place where she promised to meet Jack. She went to the market nearest to the harbor to buy the things she wanted.Ethan searched for a long while, but he found no trace of Olivia.Holding in his anger, Ethan checked every surveillance camera they missed. Finally, he found Olivia at a junction.Even though it was taken from the back, Ethan could recognize her right away. He also saw a man walking very close to her.Ethan punched the screen so hard that it shattered.The sound of the screen shattering startled everyone. Looking at Ethan's bleeding hand, Brent s