Leonard and the others were beyond excited and profusely expressed their gratitude to Dawson. He briefly chatted with Leonard and his family before instructing them to head back to their cells to pack.It was an emotional night filled with gratitude for them.The next morning in Swallowston, Adrian drove to the Xander Group and found Riley who had been waiting at the company entrance for a while.“Adrian!” she called out when she saw him.“Let’s go,” said Adrian.Riley cracked a heartfelt smile and got into the car. Together, they left Swallowston and headed to Skyton.Skyton was located near Swallowston—about a six-hundred-kilometer journey. Even though it was not far, Riley was deep in thought along the way. It had been a year and a half since the incident, yet it felt like a dream whenever she thought about it.“Have you figured it all out? What’s your plan after they’re released?” Adrian asked Riley casually as he drove.Leonard and the others would still be officially invo
Adrian said, “His family’s poor? In that case, something about him must’ve attracted you, right?”“Mm-hmm,” Riley answered, “He was extremely hardworking in university. He was also diligent and thrifty. He had a dream to go into farming, and his idea was more than just planting. He wanted to cultivate the barren mountain of his hometown and lead the people of the village and even the whole town to build an ecology center.”“He’s into agriculture, right?” said Adrian.“Yes,” Riley said, “Benson endured hardships throughout his childhood in the mountains. He got accepted to Southrive University but his family didn’t have the money to pay his tuition. When his fellow villagers found out about it, they chipped in to pay for Benson’s tuition. He promised them that he’d study hard and return to the mountain village after graduation to lead them to success and wealth.”“What happened after?” asked Adrian.“Once he graduated, he returned to the village and led the villagers to plant many
Upon hearing Adrian’s remark, Riley’s heart raced. The man whom she loved was forced to leave her in the past because of her parents. She had never apologized to him and never had the chance to do so either.It was as if Adrian had awakened something inside her once again, making her feel that perhaps she should not run anymore.***The rest of the journey was quiet.Adrian and Riley arrived at Skyton in the afternoon. They did not head to the prison right away upon arriving at the city but picked out a restaurant to have lunch.At three in the afternoon, they headed toward Skyton Prison.The prison had already made arrangements for their arrival.They drove the car up to the prison entrance and a few patrolling guards walked over to ask for Adrian’s identification documents. He pulled out his war legate pass and gave it to the prison guard.The guard hastily saluted upon reading the document. “It’s you, sir. Please enter. Everything has been arranged for your arrival!”Adrian
Adrian stared at them wordlessly.Cecilia and Faye pursed their lips and were at a loss for words too.Riley said, “Since you’ve learned your mistakes, change and we can continue being a family. Adrian is giving you the chance to do that in the hope that you’ll remember what it means to be human—to know if money or power is more important than the love between family. You have to do things in good conscience from now on.”“You’re right, Riley. I’ve learned my lesson,” said Leonard.“I’ve learned my lesson too. If I don’t fall back to my old ways, you can slap me any time,” said Wilfred in remorse.Riley did not comment further. Meanwhile, Dawson approached the family. He said smilingly, “Hello, it’s an honor to meet you, War Legate Draco.”As he spoke, Dawson extended his arms in excitement.Upon noticing this, Adrian extended his arm and shook hands with Dawson. He said, “Dawson Rock, I presume?”Dawson nodded. “Yes, sir. I was a former member of Wyvern Peak, but you probably
They called out to Adrian from behind three times in a row, their voices were loud and resonant.Adrian did not linger and left the prison with Leonard and the others.***Leonard and the others walked out of the prison and saw the light of the day once again. They raised their heads and looked toward the Sun in the sky. They felt that their lives were wonderful and the sun was so warm.They got into the car and Adrian drove back to Swallowston, not saying a single word during the journey. No one spoke. Leonard and Wilfred attempted to start a conversation, but for some reason, they had no idea how to speak to their nephew who was the legate.The atmosphere remained cold and quiet for more than two hours.At last, Faye thought of a topic of conversation and said to Adrian, “We didn’t treat you well over the years, Adrian. We’ll change that from now on. Please don’t harbor what we’ve done in your heart.”Riley turned her head and glanced at Faye sitting in the backseat.Cedric h
“If you don’t succeed, I’m sorry but you won’t be getting any benefits from the Xander Group. This is your only chance to turn over a new leaf. If you miss it, you’re out.”Adrian fell silent after stating his final bottom line for the Xanders. Whether it was Leonard, Wilfred, Cedric, or Jacob, they allowed Adrian’s warning to sink into their minds because this was the only chance they would get in their lifetime. They would have nothing else if they missed it.The Xanders thoroughly took the advice to heart.***Adrian stopped speaking to them afterward. He pulled out his phone as he drove to place a call to Wyvern Peak’s headquarters in Azure Creek. As soon as the call was picked up, he said, “Look up a man named Benson Xavier, and call me back in ten minutes with the information.”“Yes, sir.”Riley looked toward Adrian in astonishment and quickly placed her hand on his. She said, “Adrian, are we really going to see him? I…I’ll feel so embarrassed.” Her face blushed scarlet.A
Riley carried a hint of anticipation.Adrian smiled at her. It was perhaps another task that he wanted to complete. He could set his mind at ease over his family matters after Riley was married.***Adrian drove Leonard and the others back to Swallowston. At the same time, the Azure Creek command center made a call to Mount Sol Ecological Farmstead.In Sol County of Solville, Mount Sol stretched out for miles and was composed of dozens of interconnected mountains. The most prominent characteristic of Mount Sol was that the mountains were interconnected but were not especially high. On top of that, the mountains were not made up purely of rocks. Mount Sol was the most well-known mountain peak of all the mountains among the locals. As a result, the village and county were named after this mountain.Meanwhile, the interconnected mountains of Mount Sol had already been developed into the largest breeding farm, agricultural farm, and fruit orchard in Southrive. The farmstead was steadi
Upon saying that, Benson hung up the call. He hastily got to his feet and looked toward his students as he said, “Sage, Marie, Blaise. Pass on the message to all the farmstead’s managers to gather in the meeting room immediately. I have something important to announce.”“What is it, sir?” asked the woman named Marie Yeager out of curiosity.“Get to it, quickly. You’ll know soon enough.”“Yes, Mr. Benson.”The students ran off in haste as Benson inhaled a deep breath and quickly walked out of the herb farm as well. He immediately drove to the main building.Upon arriving at the main building, he went into his office and exhaled a breath of relief when he felt the cool air from the air-conditioning. He pulled out a tissue and wiped away the sweat on his face.Benson almost never left the farmstead. He would show up here every day, missing not even a single day’s work. He was regarded as the hero of Sol County’s two hundred thousand population. Every single person was proud of him.