The Next Day.
After finishing the company administration process with the new CEO of Ocean Group, Scarlett visited her father's grave once again, which was placed right next to her mother's empty grave.
This time, Xander accompanied Scarlett as they prepared to fly back to the capital after paying their last respects to Jonathan Piers.
The cemetery appeared deserted in the afternoon, with only a few visitors in sight.
Scarlett stood solemnly before Jonathan Piers' grave, her face reflecting a sense of sorrow. She couldn't help but feel remorseful for the sacrifices this man had made for her and her mother. He had married her mother without questioning her past and eventually died without knowing the reason behind his untimely death.
'Father… I hope that if you have a chance to reincarnate, you will find a happier life...' Scarlett silently spoke to him in her heart. 'And, thank you for everything you have done for me and my mother. May you now rest in peace.' Her heart trembled as she wiped away the tears that streamed down her cheeks, unable to contain her emotions any longer.
Realizing that his wife was in tears beside him, Xander placed a comforting hand on her shoulder and offered her a handkerchief. Without uttering a word, he provided her with his presence and a shoulder to lean on, ready to offer support whenever she needed it.
After a while, Scarlett let out her sadness, and then she turned to look at Xander. "Let's go back, Xander... I've finished talking to my father," she said.
They made their way back to the car, and Scarlett remained mostly silent during the journey to the airport. Her mind was filled with bittersweet memories of her time on the island.
Scarlett didn't know when or if she would ever return to this island. Because this island was no longer a place that held cherished memories for her but was now overshadowed by sadness.
She had lost all the people closest to her on this island. Her mother; even though there was a chance her mother was still alive, however, the last time they met was on this very island. Besides her mother, she also lost her father, Nicole Piers, her little sister, Aunt Lana, Uncle Adam, and all the loyal workers in her household, who she considered her own family.
One last time, Scarlett cast a glance at the island before boarding the waiting plane that would take her away from Island B.
****
Meanwhile, in X Country,
Noah Withers' private jet touched down at the capital's airport in J Town. He quietly settled into the backseat of the waiting black SUV without exchanging any greetings with the chauffeur who awaited him. His gaze fixated on the bustling streets outside as he drifted into deep thought.
The car eventually arrived at his apartment building's lobby. After instructing the driver to head home, Noah entered the building in a relaxed manner without going up to his apartment.
Instead, he made his way to the underground parking area. Without hesitation, he stepped into a Maybach waiting there.
"Master, where are we headed?" asked a burly man with short black hair, seated beside the driver.
"Return to the Withers mansion!" He responded, pressing the glass barrier between the driver and the passengers. Once the glass barrier was in place, he removed the mask he had been wearing.
He gazed at his reflection in the mirror before him. His face slowly transformed. The face that stared back at him was no longer that of Noah Withers but his true face.
"What a hassle, Jude!" Jude Withers chuckled, gently massaging his pale cheeks that had been concealed for far too long by a mask resembling his brother's face. "Why did you go through all this trouble just to meet that girl? Damn it! All you needed to do was kidnap her, and that slut Rosalie would come running to your door!" He scolded himself for his foolish decision to travel to W Country merely to encounter his niece.
The car didn't take long to arrive at a prestigious residential area in country X, known for its luxurious homes owned by wealthy families.
As the car pulled into the Withers mansion, Jude Withers stepped out, greeted by a line of maids standing in front of the main door.
"Master, welcome..." they said in unison, bowing their heads respectfully. Without uttering a word, Jude walked past them. A middle-aged butler followed closely behind, awaiting orders from their master, who had just returned from a business trip.
Before entering the elevator to head up to his bedroom on the third floor, Jude paused and glanced back at the butler.
"Where is Dax?" Jude asks.
"Young Master Dax is in his apartment and has not returned home since you left for the USA," the butler explained.
Jude nodded, continuing his words, "I will not be leaving until morning, and I won't be having dinner either, so you may rest now..." He dismissed his servant.
Then he ascended to the third floor, his private area. No one was permitted to enter that floor, not even his son. It was a realm reserved exclusively for him.
Jude didn't head straight to his bedroom; instead, he made his way into his study room. Standing before a door concealed behind a bookcase in the corner, he entered a series of password codes.
With the correct sequence entered, the door swung open, revealing a staircase leading downward. Descending the stairs, he arrived in a large, dimly lit room bathed in yellow light after a few minutes.
At the end of the hall, two doors awaited him. Approaching one of the doors, he inputs another passcode, causing the door to creak open, accompanied by the sound of chains.
Casually stepping into the dimly lit room, he located a chair in the center and settled into it, his gaze fixed on the disheveled man lying on the floor, too weak to move. The man's face was covered in beard, his hair was messy, and his once white shirt was now a yellowish, repulsive sight — a stark contrast to the handsome, immaculate appearance usually seen in print or on television.
"Wow, Noah Withers, my little brother, you seem unusually calm today," Jude's deep voice echoed in the room. "I have some news to share with you, brother. It's about our lovely niece Scarlett..." He chuckled darkly.
Noah Withers clenched his teeth, attempting to ignore the despicable Jude Withers. However, upon hearing his last words, his heart tightened. Slowly, he lifted his head, meeting Jude's gaze.
"What have you done to Scarlett?" Noah's voice dripped with coldness. "If you lay a finger on her, I will kill you! I'll drag you to hell, you bastard Jude Withers!!" Anger consumed him, an evil fire dancing in his eyes as he stared madly at Jude Withers.
The steel chains bound Noah's hands and feet jangled as he struggled, desperately attempting to break free from their unyielding grip.
"Bwahaha..." Jude Withers' evil laughter echoed through the room, filling the air after Noah's words. "You're so stupid! How can you drag me to hell in your pathetic state? Tell me, how?" He taunted his younger brother.
Without waiting for Noah's response, Jude continued speaking once his happy laughter subsided. "Don't worry, little brother. I still need her life to lure that foolish Rosalie out of her hiding. But I've done something terrible to our little niece..." He said while clasping his hand happily.
Noah's eyes narrowed as he locked his gaze on Jude. If only he wasn't bound by chains, he would make sure to kill this bastard Jude Withers.
"W-What have you done to her!?" Noah asked, annoyance seeping into his voice.
"I sent a chilling message to Rosalie," an evil smile tugged at the corner of Jude's lips. "I killed her beloved husband and everyone in their household. Consider it a warning to that wretched slut. Now that I've taken her husband's life, next time, I'll take her beloved daughter's..."
Noah's hands clenched tightly, causing the dried wounds on his wrists to reopen, and anger welled up within him, causing his blood to boil.
ƥαṇdαηθνε| "You're a monster, Jude Withers! Truly Monster!! How can a human being commit such acts? How can you take lives so callously, as if swatting a fly?" Noah's voice quivered with uncontainable rage.
"Crist!! My little brother Noah, this is what makes you unworthy of being the true patriarch of the Withers family. Your heart is weak, Noah. Remember, the blood of the Withers flows within you. Our blood is special—it runs cold and merciless!" Jude Withers said as he looked disappointed at his brother, who was different from him.
"Why? Why are you doing this to Rosalie? To me? To our father?" Noah Withers' voice trembled with sadness as he witnessed Jude rise from his chair and make his way toward the door. "We're your family!"
Jude's steps came to a halt.
He slowly turned his gaze back to Noah, who lay forlornly on the floor. A faint smile graced his eerie expression before he spoke, "It's because of Rosalie! She knows something she shouldn't. As long as she lives, I will never cease to torment all of you!" His words were emotionless as he walked out of the room, refusing to glance backward even though he heard Noah crying miserably.
****
Author notes:
This marks the END of Volume 1. Volume 2 will continue the next day.
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