When Jisoo received Lisa's call through the satellite phone, he learnt that Hanbin was dead while Lisa was stranded in the South China Sea because of the storm.
Lisa asked Jisoo for help because he was worried about Jennie. Unfortunately, Jisoo was in Capital City. Currently, Chaeyoung was the only person that he trusted in Luo Hai.
Chaeyoung's mind was fraught with anxiety when Jisoo told her to rush over to Hibiscus Garden to check on Jennie.
Jisoo had only recently returned to the Capital City. Before he left, he asked her to take care of Jennie while he was gone.
Jennie did not go to work for a long time after the incidents in the Manoban household, but Chaeyoung called her every day to ask if she was alright. Chaeyoung knew that the Manoban Family Mansion's security was extremely tight. It was unlikely that they would face any problems defending Jennie.
This afternoon, both Jennie's cell phone and the landline at Hibiscus Garden were dead. Jisoo's frantic calls from Capital City instantly sent panic through Chaeyoung's mind as well.
"Did something happen to Jennie?"
"I can't give you details through the phone. Everything will be fine as long as she hasn't left Hibiscus Garden. Our men are stationed around the periphery, so she'll be safe! However, Lisa wants you to hurry over to Hibiscus Garden to check out the situation. Remember to protect Jennie!"
Jisoo was an optimist by nature, but he could sense that something was amiss now.
The man who was stranded in the South China Sea had been immensely troubled when he spoke to Jisoo over the phone. That was not the Lisa that Jisoo remembered.
*
Chaeyoung's car raced across the slippery road, forming splashes that were half a meter high. The other drivers spat a series of curses at her as they drove past.
Her car accelerated. Chaeyoung only breathed a long sigh of relief when she drew close to the cluster of villas in the wealthy suburb near Autumn View Mountain. She gently stepped on the brakes. She thought to herself, 'Jennie, please be alright.'
A red-colored BMW drove away from the direction of the Manoban Family Mansion. Its speed was neither fast nor slow. Through the mist, Chaeyoung realized that the driver looked familiar. However, she failed to get a good look when their cars passed each other...
Chaeyoung simply distractedly stepped on the accelerator and continued moving forward.
Fifteen minutes later, the mansion's front door appeared before her.
She noticed that the security here was very tight when she attempted to enter the Manoban Family Mansion. The head of security was an imposing man carrying a walkie-talkie. He only allowed Chaeyoung's white-colored Mazda to enter once he received an order from the other side.
Chaeyoung could instantly tell that the head of security was a special forces soldier who was transferred from Capital City. His vigilance and the way he carried himself was different from that of a civilian.
Hibiscus Garden
Ah Fu frantically paced up and down the house. She was too afraid to inform the Old Mistress that Lisa was uncontactable. She anxiously threw herself at Chaeyoung when the older woman hastily rushed inside. "Miss Park... The Mistress..."
"Where is the Mistress?"
Chaeyoung became agitated when she noticed that the servant was terrified. Her tone changed.
"The Mistress was packing her things earlier before she left with Miss Mcdonie... Before he left, the Master instructed me not to let the Mistress take a single step out of Hibiscus Garden. But I couldn't stop her..."
Ah Fu began to sob as she explained.
"Why didn't you answer the phone?" Chaeyoung demanded angrily. She realized that she had failed when she heard this.
"The Mistress disconnected the phone line..."
Ah Fu's heart continued to tremble with fear when she recalled the completely disillusioned look on Jennie's face.
"She spoke to Miss Mcdonie for some time. I don't know what Miss Mcdonie said, but the Mistress suddenly started crying. After that, she went upstairs and changed her clothes. When I came outside, I only saw Miss Mcdonie driving her car to the entrance before the Mistress got in without even turning back..."
Ah Fu took a deep breath after she spoke. She wiped away her snot and tears as she cried.
How would she face the Young Master if anything happened to Jennie because of this?
"Is Nancy's car a red BMW?"
Chaeyoung recalled the familiar driver whom she had encountered halfway when she slowed down.
"Yes, it's a red car..."
"Damn!" Chaeyoung was so angry that she wanted to slap herself several times. The car that she had passed earlier on the way here...
"Jennie, you idiot. How could you leave with her? What did she say to you?"
Chaeyoung cursed when she realized that disaster was imminent. She contacted Huai. "Captain, I'm requesting for backup. Jennie may have been kidnapped!"
Chaeyoung was left with no choice but to make the situation sound slightly more severe. She needed to force Huai to send the police.
Huai was shocked when he heard this. "The Manoban Family must have done many evil deeds this year. They've given us a slew of cases. Don't panic. Tell me the vehicle's registration plate number and I'll instruct someone over here to..."
Chaeyoung contacted Jisoo. "Tell your men to come with me. Lisa's own men can hold down the fort at the Manoban Family Mansion on their own. I'm afraid that Jeon Somi may have kidnapped Jennie!"
Jisoo's hair stood on end when he heard this. They were in a sticky situation now. If anything happened to Jennie, Lisa would cause a ruckus when he returned to Luo Hai!
When the "head of security" at the entrance received Jisoo's orders, he gathered the 150 elite soldiers from Capital City. While they were mostly dressed in casual clothes, a group of them had changed into the security guards' uniforms as a disguise.
Chaeyoung glanced at these well-trained troops before she arranged them in a simple manner.
She hurriedly created a chat group in order to ease communication. She sent Jennie and Somi's photos and a picture of Somi's car to the group.
"A few of you can go to various large petrol stations on your own to search for them using these photos.
"You guys will go to Luo Hai's six high-speed intersections and intercept them.
"This group will investigate the nearby harbors and airports. The rest of you will do a thorough search using the transport department's surveillance cameras."
Chaeyoung sighed deeply once she had finished assigning tasks. She ordered, "Inform the group if you discover even the slightest activity! Hurry up and move out! Also, Mrs Manoban is pregnant, so don't frighten her or she may vomit."
Jennie was unaware that Luo Hai had descended into chaos after she left. The transport department, major crimes department, and the special forces from Capital City turned Luo Hai upside down in the short span of several hours in an effort to find her...
*
At night
The raging storm that lasted throughout the day finally stopped.
The thunderous roar of massive propellers echoed from afar as it approached the landing pad on the port.
The cold wind on this rainy night was not enough to chill people's bodies. The man who came down from the helicopter scanned his surroundings with a stern gaze. However, the people waiting for him at the airport wrapped their clothes tighter around their bodies.
"Third Young Master, I'm sorry... The Mistress..."
Zhou Tian, the captain responsible for guard duties, was one of Jisoo's men. He felt extremely guilty about his dereliction of duty.
Lisa glanced at Zhou Tian. Although he was burning with rage, he knew that it was inappropriate to lash out at him. He calmly said, "Zhou Tian, you don't have to explain. I still need your help to continue searching for the next few days."
The expression on Lisa's face darkened. There were no signs of a smile at all. He wrapped the black windbreaker tighter around his body as his long legs entered the Maybach.
They travelled west.
The Manoban Family Mansion was halfway up Autumn View Mountain. The old mansion gave off a strange dim light under the pitch-black autumn night.
The inside of Hibiscus Garden now lacked that woman's gentle and beautiful silhouette. Lisa felt a heavy blow strike his heart at the second he entered. He had some trouble breathing.
Jennie had disappeared with Somi fourteen hours ago.
Ah Fu trembled with fear when she saw Lisa returning in the middle of the night. The girl was bundled up in cotton-padded clothes, but she shivered as she stood in the doorway.
"Young Master..."
Ah Fu pouted and nearly cried, but she determinedly restrained herself when she saw Lisa's stern face.
However, Lisa could not blame anyone now.
Jennie left on purpose. Nobody could stop her if she wanted to leave.
"Ah Fu, bring Little Ginger Fur Ball and Briquet home tomorrow..."
A gleaming reflection flickered in Lisa's dark eyes as the sense of loneliness suddenly swelled in his heart.
Everything was settled, but he could not make that woman stay in the end...
The thorough search lasted a week. It seemed as though Jennie had disappeared off the face of the earth. There was no news about her ever since.
Lisa's initial fury turned into anxiety before it finally became prayers to god!
*
One month later
One morning in winter, Ah Fu woke up early as usual and busied herself in the kitchen.
In the month since the Mistress disappeared, The Young Master barely ate anything during meals. However, Ah Fu continued to cook the usual amount of food. She silently watched as Lisa laid out Jennie's cutlery...
In this house, Lisa never seemed to admit that Jennie had left.
Today was no exception. Lisa instructed Ah Fu beforehand to cook the rice wine steamed eggs that the Mistress liked.
When Ah Fu came out of the kitchen, she was shocked to see the group of people who had suddenly appeared before her.
"Miss... Miss Mcdonie..."
The plate of steamed eggs that Ah Fu had just brought out clattered on the floor and broke into pieces while the girl shrieked.
Lisa came out of the bedroom when he heard the commotion.
He saw Yan Jun, Tian Qi, and a group of other people. They angrily burst into Hibiscus Garden while dragging a woman along.
That woman was none other than Somi who had disappeared with Jennie for a long time.
"Young Master, we caught this woman earlier at the entry point to Luo Hai's highway." Yan Jun shoved Somi inside.
Somi had replaced her red BMW with a white Hyundai long ago. It was not surprising that they were unable to find surveillance footage of that car entering and leaving the area during their previous investigations.
Somi's gaze fell on the stern and gloomy man who was leaning against the handrails on the second floor. Her exquisite little face broke out into a smile.
"Third Young Master, I'm here to give you a letter!"
Lisa's expression remained calm. His dark eyes never stirred as he was unperturbed. He said indifferently, "You were brave enough to return, so you should already know the consequences!"
Somi lifted her head and giggled when he said that.
"If you're planning to ask me about Jennie's whereabouts, you can rest assured that I won't tell you."
As she spoke, Somi attempted to cast off Tian Qi's grip. Lisa signalled Tian Qi to release her.
Somi shook her arm once she was freed. It hurt from being gripped so tightly. She stepped forward and walked upstairs to the second floor. She anchored her feet there and met the man's gaze.
She had previously loved him so much that she had suffered terribly for him. His face was currently filled with intense hatred. Somi believed that Lisa would tear her to shreds with his own hands. The only thing that stopped him was his desire to learn Jennie's whereabouts from her.
Jennie left Luo Hai and followed Somi to City C. She wrote this letter a month ago.
She had initially planned to get rid of Jennie. It would be best if she sold her off in Africa.
She never expected that Jennie would merely use her to escape from Luo Hai. A short while after they left Autumn View Mountain, Jennie forced Somi to exchange her BMW for a white Hyundai at a car retailer.
The vehicle permits were complete, and she even had the proper identification to prove that this car was obviously not stolen.
The owner of the Hyundai could not believe that he had gotten so lucky...
Jennie promised that they would transfer ownership of the BMW to him and finalize everything in a few days. She also reminded the car owner to remove the vehicle's registration plate immediately and drive the car home. He could not appear in public for the next three days at any cost.
The owner of the Hyundai obediently followed her instructions. He only realized that he had gotten himself into a huge mess when he heard that the Third Young Mistress of the Manoban Family was on the run.
The man was so terrified that he sought out his uncle that very night and painted the red BMW white... It resulted in a horrible paint job.
Jennie still possessed the wig and tools that she previously used to crack cases. It was not difficult for her to disguise herself and deceive surveillance.
Lisa had forgotten that Somi's name had already vanished. They used Nancy's identification throughout their journey...
Jennie abandoned her three days after they arrived in City C. The only thing that she left behind in the hotel was this letter.
In actuality, Somi was completely unaware of Jennie's current whereabouts.
Somi had to admit that she was no match for Jennie when it came to deceiving others.
She had lost sight of Jennie, but Lisa was still frantically looking for his wife.
Somi found a remote place in City C and hid there because she was too afraid to return to Luo Hai.
Jennie had taken her identification card and the money inside her bank cards. It was impossible for a person such as Somi, who had always been fragile and egotistical, to suffer living a life on the run.
She realized that she still had Jennie's handwritten letter. That man would probably give up once he saw the conclusion. Somi assumed that Lisa would not hurt her on account of the Old Mistress' feelings. Moreover, that man was previously "indebted" to her as well.
Somi attempted to return to Luo Hai to find a way out.
As expected, she was immediately seized by Lisa's men the moment she stepped foot into Luo Hai.
"Jennie wrote a letter and told me to give it to you!"
Somi took an envelope out of her pocket as she said this. It was pale pink and slightly crumpled after Somi rubbed against it.
Lisa's palms were dry and warm. He felt strangely hurt when he looked at that pale pink envelope. It contained news from Jennie, but he was too afraid to take it...
Fear was a feeling that Lisa had not experienced since he was five years old. This was his first time experiencing this emotion ever since he lost his parents.
"Third Young Master Manoban, you don't believe that Jennie wrote this letter for you?"
The corners of Somi's lips curled upward when she noticed the hesitation that flashed across Lisa's arrogant gaze. Her smile was intentionally sinister. "Jennie left you this letter because she knew that you refused to give up on her. She doesn't want you to look for her anymore. If you don't read it..."
Lisa refused to be threatened by this woman. He reached out and snatched the envelope. His large warm hands stroked it while he held it in his palm for some time.
Jennie chose this method as she was afraid that he would find her. She avoided all modern forms of communication and instead chose the primitive method of writing a letter...
Her delicate and familiar handwriting appeared before him when he opened the envelope. He recognized Jennie's writing.
"Brother Lisa, I wrote you this letter because I couldn't meet you. This is the last time I'll ever call you 'Brother Lisa'. I know that your heart will be filled with love and hatred when you read this letter.
"I'm sorry.
"You know that it was the best choice for me to leave. I can never face you again, and there's no way for me to pretend that nothing happened. I can't act like a spoiled child or fool around with you like we did in the past anymore...
"You protected me for so many years by refusing to expose my real past to me. I've loved and hated you, but I never realized that your love for me was so deep and sincere...
"You carried this burden alone in the past, but I repaid the favor. Please let me do something for you now.
"I'm Ze Da's daughter...
"I have evil blood flowing through my veins as he was the leader of the rebel forces. I can't even face myself because I've been tainted...
"3928 heroes lost their lives during the long-standing battle. The departed spirit of the brave General Dongwook would never allow me to stay here.
"Please forget me. You shouldn't blame yourself for feeling conflicted because you love me. I don't deserve your love at all.
"I was never given the right to choose, just like my mother who wasn't allowed to decide whether she wanted to give birth to me in the first place.
"I stupidly allowed so many years to pass. Worse still, I made another unimaginably stupid decision when I discovered this the first time. How dare I assume that I was worthy enough to nurture the flesh and blood of the Manoban Family in my womb?
"Don't come looking for me anymore. Just let me live out my days in misery as a form of repentance...
"You should find a better woman who will love you for the rest of your life. A woman like me doesn't deserve you at all!
"I've aborted the baby..."
Lisa read the whole letter. He gripped the railing to calm down. He noticed that the envelope contained a document from the hospital confirming that her pregnancy was terminated!
Lisa murmured, "Jennie, how could you..."
He felt his vision darken before his entire body fell headfirst with a thud!
"Young Master!" Tian Qi and Yan Jun yelled simultaneously.
Ah Fu had no idea what happened. She merely shrieked when she saw Lisa's tall figure tumbling down the stairs...
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