Though speechless, Charlie thought about it for a long while and sighed. "I-I just thought I could find my wife through them…"Vera nodded sympathetically. "I can understand where you're coming from, but don't you understand that you're already making two mistakes just from the idea?"First, there's no direct proof that Jeevika and Mr. Thompson were accomplices. And considering Jeevika risked his prestige as a Buddhist monk to inspire Ms. Ito, you are being discourteous and exposing him unnecessarily."The second is Mrs. Wade's departure in itself. She left so that you could focus on your revenge, but you couldn't care less and want her back? Have you thought about what will happen if you do? You're choosing to throw away her sacrifice for questionable impulses, and stirring such a huge wave that it'd directly shine the spotlight on Mr. Thompson's organization. "They took such painstaking steps to stay hidden from Fleur Griffin's notice, but you don't care even if you blew their c

Vera nodded and smiled sweetly. "I'm yours to command anytime, anywhere.""So what about Jerry?" Charlie asked, looking at the kitten on his lap. "The trip might take a while."Decan can take care of him," Vera replied. "He's been taking care of plenty of livestock for me, and he knows his way around all of them—horse, pig, rat, dogs, cat, rabbits. And he's a better owner than I am."Charlie then looked up at the blooming kombuc tree. "Even this one?"Vera smiled faintly. 'It's resilient in the first place and not just any tree—it won't need pesticides or fertilizers. The worst that could happen is not being watered or if it burns down, but it's otherwise growing strong without help."Pausing, she murmured, "But I guess we'd have to bring plenty of tea leaves since we'd be away for a while… Have you thought of what to bring? Just remember not to miss anything important.Charlie thought about it for a moment and said, "I don't have anything special to pack for the trip to Norway,

Ruby sighed. "Perhaps… And if Mr. Wade intends to stay indefinitely, he would be worried that we might die or return to the Qing Eliminating Society.""I would rather die than go back." Penny said staunchly, but soon groaned, "But I guess Mr. Wade isn't buying that."Ruby smiled faintly. "I'm not going back either, but Mr. Wade's concerns are valid. The closer a person is to death, the stronger the instinct to survive, and it will trump even common sense."Penny shook her head. "That still depends on the life we will have—if it means living under Qing Eliminating Society's control again and remaining an accomplice to such evil for some antidote, I'd rather die. As the saying goes, 'Give me liberty or give me death.'"Ruby patted her back and grinned. "We are both determined to escape the Qing Eliminating Society, but neither of us holds our fate in our own hands either. Let's just go with what Mr. Wade asks."Penny felt a pang of sadness, gently hugging Ruby, and murmured, "Do you

Vera didn't ask Charlie to pick her up from Scarlet Pinnacle Manor, and instead joined them at the airport, with Logan Carrick's servant giving her a ride.Champs Elys Hot Springs and the airport were both in the suburbs and quite close, so asking Charlie to pick her up was a detour and wasted time unnecessarily.With Emmett Sandsor's help, the airport let their cars pass straight through security to the tarmac, and without any official records being made in the flight registry.At the hangar furthest from a gate, a Boeing 747 stood silently in the darkness.It was registered as a cargo plane, but the upper deck was refurbished into a luxurious passenger cabin seating 20.The plane had no dedicated service crew—aside from the two pilots, the cabin crew consisted of a royal valet and other royal servants. Moreover, the pilots were already in the cockpit and weren't there to see their passengers.The cockpit was completely covered by opaque blackout curtains, with the royal cabin c

His tone respectfully, Jeevika replied, "In that case, I shall book the next flight home tomorrow."Ashley nodded. "Go ahead."After Jeevika excused himself, Suzanne also bowed her head respectfully. "I will also take my leave if there's nothing else, ma'am."Ashley beckoned to her, grinning, "A moment please, Mrs. Sun."Suzanne nodded. "How can I be of service?"Ashley kept smiling. "Nothing. Just wanted to chat."Suzanne couldn't help but smile too. "You seem to be in a great mood, ma'am."Ashley nodded right then. "Just remembering Ms. Lavor puts me in a good mood."Suzanne nodded again, "She is as wise as she is experienced and knowledgeable. It's only regretful that you only met her recently, the way you both hit it off.""Yes… and no."Ashley sighed, holding Suzanne's gaze and explaining earnestly, "After living for centuries, her seniority is above all seniors. I'm not qualified to say I admire her, but I genuinely respect her. I still can't imagine how such a delicate