"Take a moment to think about where Freddy might go—like the places he usually loves going or his close friends' houses," Larissa suggested. "By the way, have you called the police? They will take care of this, won't they?""I haven't contacted the police yet," Allen said. "I've also just received the news from the nanny a while ago. She thought Freddy had sneakily gone out to play. But when she couldn't find him after looking for him around the school, she panicked."I'm heading to Freddy's favorite spots now. Larissa, can you help to keep an eye out too? Freddy loves and trusts you the most. If he runs away from home, it's very likely that he will go to you. Moreover ..." He trailed off, seemingly hesitating to continue speaking."What?" Larissa asked. "Something has been off with him since he received the cold shoulder from you. He has gotten a lot quieter than before. I'm worried that he might be suffering from depression." That was a bolt out of the blue. Larissa was stunne
Larissa brought Freddy into the car. The lights in the car were lit, perfectly highlighting the disheveled state the little boy was in. Larissa cleaned the dirt on Freddy's face with wet wipes and ran her fingers through his messy hair to make it neat and tidy. "Did you get into a fight with your dad?" she asked gently. Freddy still wasn't responding to her. Recalling what Allen said over the phone—that Freddy seemed to have signs of depression. Larissa felt her heart tighten. "Freddy, talk to me, please? You can tell me whatever you want." She was starting to sound anxious. Freddy looked at her; his gaze was blank and lifeless.After ending the call with Allen, Lewis returned to his car and cast a glance at the two people sitting in the backseat. "His dad will be here soon. He told us to wait for him."Hearing that, Freddy became restless all of a sudden and frantically tried to open the locked car door. When he realized he couldn't open it, he fiercely knocked his arm a
Allen couldn't even be bothered to lock his car. He trotted over and asked, "Where's Freddy?"Larissa pointed at the car. "He was trying to escape just now, so Lewis has tied him up." Upon opening the car door, Allen called, "Freddy!" His voice was choked up.Hearing that, the little kid finally stopped struggling and quieted down. Lewis loosened the jacket and tie holding Freddy down, but he didn't remove the mask on the boy's face. Allen pulled Freddy into his arms and whined, "Where did you go? You have made us look for you everywhere!" He sounded angry and joyful at the same time. Once again, Freddy fell into silence. "Thanks, Larissa, Lewis. I'm sorry for bothering you at this hour," Allen said apologetically. "It's okay." Larissa waved her hand. "Hurry up and bring Freddy back. He must be scared and hungry." Allen nodded. "We'll leave first, then. I'll treat you to a meal some other day to express my gratitude." Larissa watched them go away. It wasn't unti
Larissa gave Kevan a detailed account of what happened. As she went on, his expression gradually darkened."Stop meddling in other people's businesses." His response was the same as that of Lewis. "Since your ex-superior could make his son suffer depression, he is not a good person either." Larissa had been reproached by Lewis just now, so she dared not retort to Kevan. She rubbed her belly and couldn't help sighing as she thought of the lavish meal that she had missed just now. "Are you hungry?" Kevan arched his brows. He knew her so well that he understood every move she made. "Yes!" Larissa's eyes brightened. "Is there anything to eat at home?" Her voice was filled with excitement. "What do you want to eat? I made beef stew today. Do you want some?""Sure!" That instantly whetted her appetite. Ten minutes later, Kevan walked out of the kitchen with a bowl of piping-hot beef stew. He added more ingredients to it, and the tantalizing aroma was permeating the air. L
Kevan stood beside Larissa with a hand in his pocket. He lowered his head to look at her and ordered, "It's getting late, time to sleep now." "I ate too much. I need to exercise and burn off some calories," Larissa said as she got up from the sofa. There was a dedicated gym in the house. Although there wasn't much equipment, it was sufficient for her needs. As soon as she took a step forward, Kevan stopped her. There was a meaningful smile on his face. "Exercise? I know of a particularly effective form of exercise to burn calories instead." It was the weekend, so all four of them were at home. After the intense "workout" last night, Larissa felt a little groggy in the morning. Yawning, she lay on the sofa in their home theater and watched a cheesy teen drama with Wendy. "Hey, do you know if Microworks Corporation is making a fortune from this recent epidemic happening back in Caldor?" Wendy blurted out suddenly. "What? Why?" Larissa's mind was still foggy and she did no
While Wendy was singing praises regarding Kevan, he was in the study on the phone with Anthony. The situation at Soaring Corporation was as dire as Wendy had mentioned. This was why Maria had been going over to Kevan's parents' house almost every day. "If you have the ability, help Cody out! Your grandfather had built Soaring Corporation up with his blood and tears. I can't bear to watch the company go down the drain," Anthony urged him. "Dad, you know I will never help Cody." Kevan had set up his plan many years ago. At this crucial juncture, he couldn't allow his plan to fail. The recent epidemic was a massive disaster. It was also the perfect opportunity to make sure Cody could never recover from this situation. "You are not helping Cody, but helping the family." Anthony wasn't fond of Cody either, but he was devoted to Soaring Corporation. "Soaring Corporation is the root of the Rogers family, Kevan," he said. "This root is already rotten. It needs to be uprooted." Ke
The ongoing teen drama series was so boring that it almost put Larissa to sleep. She struggled to stay awake. Her gaze happened to catch a glimmer of light seeping through the door crack.Kevan pushed the door open and walked in. He waved to Larissa. "Can you step out for a moment?"As she was still holding a grudge from the previous night's 'feud,' she pretended not to hear him. She remained nonchalant at him. Kevan smiled faintly. He approached her, bent down, and picked her up."Aaaaaaah—" she exclaimed. She was squirming in his arms.Wendy was munching on potato chips and watching them with keen interest. She thought that the scene was more entertaining than the cheesy teen drama.Kevan held Larissa's flailing hands in place. He apologized to Wendy. "I need to talk to her."Wendy nodded confidently. "Yeah, sure! As long as you need to!"Larissa turned and glared at Wendy. Kevan carried Larissa into the study. He locked the door behind them. He gestured for her to sit on th
Soon, the day of the trial arrived.Thanks to Lewis' influence, not a single respectable lawyer in Westonia dared to take on the task of defending Edmund, no matter how much he was willing to pay.Larissa had rehearsed her testimony at home in advance. Tears welled up in her eyes as she took the witness stand. She sobbed uncontrollably as she recounted the scary experiences after being kidnapped. Her emotional testimony moved the jury deeply. She cried so many times during her testimony that she could barely hold herself together.The key witnesses, including Vick, corroborated her account.The text messages and contracts exchanged between Vick and Edmund were presented as evidence.Such proof could potentially send Edmund to jail.Everything was proceeding smoothly, except for a minor hiccup during Wendy's appearance. Kevan was concerned about her mental state.So, he had coordinated with the prosecutor to place her as the last witness.Edmund was completely taken by