The nanny was walking at a very fast pace, so the kids were understandably frightened by the bumpy journey. Audrey brawled as if she was in anguish, sounding extremely pitiful.
I rushed over and took Audrey from the nanny. At once, my little girl stopped crying. I heaved a sigh of relief, but sorrow filled my heart the next instant.
Now that the kids were here, the only one to rescue was Anthony.
“Mrs. Featherstone, we should leave this place as soon as possible. Mr. Featherstone’s instructions were for us to wait for him at the pier,” Joseph cut in, his voice piercing through my thoughts.
Perhaps it was because the man had worked for Anthony for a long time; he knew very well how to convince me. After considering for several seconds, I decided to send the kids to the pier first.
At the pier, Anthony’s men had already gotten ready the ships for us to leave in. Other rescue personnel was seen disembarking from the ships, and they were rushing towards the island. They aimed to get rid of Armond’s men as well as to buy Anthony more time.
After settling the kids, I waited for Anthony at the pier.
However, more than ten minutes soon passed, and he was still nowhere to be seen. I got impatient and asked Joseph, “Why is Anthony not here yet?”
Joseph’s face was clearly filled with tension. Frowning, he replied, “He should be here soon.”
I turned around and looked at the ship that was ready to leave the pier. Then, I said solemnly, “I’ll go get him.”
Joseph immediately objected to my suggestion. “If any one of us were to go get him, it should be me. Mrs. Featherstone, you need to remain in safety with Mr. Gregory and Ms. Audrey.”
I sighed and asked him a rhetorical question, “If you go, do you expect me to be the one protecting the kids if someone attacks the ship and seizes the kids?”
Between me and the kids, anyone besides Anthony would choose the latter without hesitation. Indeed, Joseph was swayed by what I said.
“Millie will be staying with me. Don’t you trust her?” After I said that, I turned to Millie and asked, “We’re really risking our lives this time. are you alright with that?”
In an unyielding manner, Millie replied with a resolute nod, “I’ve been waiting for this day.”
After seeing that Joseph did not have any further questions or objections, I turned around and headed towards the island.
Anthony and Armond were still in the same stance as before we left. It seemed all peaceful on the surface, but I could feel the tension mounting in the air.
Armond did not appear to be concerned about Anthony’s escape plan at all, which was strange.
His hatred for Anthony was a well-known fact, so it wouldn’t make sense for him to let our family off so easily. Could it be that he has suddenly developed a conscience and decided to be merciful to the kids?
No matter what, I was determined to leave with Anthony.
“Sienna?” Armond was the first to discover my presence. With a mirthless smile, he tilted his head and looked at me.
Only then did Anthony turn around. A deep crease appeared between his brows when he saw me. I could sense that he was reprimanding me with his eyes, as if he was screaming at me silently, questioning my presence.
After taking a deep inhale, I walked towards Anthony and stood next to him.
Armond’s smile broadened. Even though the man was a monster, on the surface, he looked like a gentleman. The way he looked was no different from the time when we first met. He was still the dashing man from a prominent family he used to be.
But at this moment, I was clearly aware that he was a wolf in sheep’s clothing, a heartless and cruel beast.
Armond was going all out; he was prepared to destroy everything.
I took a deep breath to calm myself down as I turned to look at Anthony. “Are you alright?” I asked.
“I’m fine,” Anthony replied, holding onto my hands as he did so. As we both had sweaty palms due to our nervousness, our hands slipped slightly as they came into contact before we managed to hold on to each other tightly.
Anthony let out a barely noticeable sigh and glanced over my shoulder. When he saw that it was just Millie who had come with me, he relaxed visibly.
Then, I noticed him shoot Nora a meaningful look. Understanding Anthony’s intentions, Nora approached Armond slowly together with her child.
“Armond, I really hope that you and I, along with our child, the three of us, can leave this place together safely and have a fresh start.”
“Come here,” Armond ordered as he lifted his hand and beckoned her to come closer.
The corners of the man’s lips curled into a faint smile as he took over the child from Nora’s arms.
He had never carried a child in his arms before, so his actions were obviously a little clumsy. But one could tell that he was being extra careful. As such, it was a rather comforting sight to behold.
Nora let out a small smile as she observed the man’s interactions with the child. “I knew you were a good man. I have always believed in you.”
While they were immersed in that seemingly heartwarming moment, I scratched Anthony’s palm with my nail purposefully. When he looked towards me, I mouthed to him, “Explosives, run.”
Anthony seemed to understand what I said but did not react to it. He merely narrowed his eyes slightly to let me know that he got the message.
I turned to look at Armond and noticed him looking at his child like a lover. It was a passionate and somewhat victorious gaze.
Judging by the way Armond was holding the child’s hand, he seemed to be trying to gain strength from the small being. His expression was so gentle at that moment, and there was even a hint of a smile in his eyes.
Could it be that I have really thought the worst of Armond? Or it could also be that he was influenced by the purity and innocence of his child and saw the light out of a sudden?
Just as I was contemplating such a possibility, I saw Armond take a few steps back when Nora tried to approach him. He handed the child to a fierce-looking bodyguard next to him and stood up slowly. “Take the child away,” he instructed.
“Understood,” the bodyguard replied with a nod and proceeded to leave with the child in his arms.
Nora was momentarily stunned at the man’s sudden maneuver and immediately stepped forward to snatch her child back. However, Armond stopped her, shoving her onto the ground. Ignoring her cry of pain, he said with disgust, “Didn’t you say you love me? If that’s the case, stay and accompany me in death!”
Not expecting him to say such a thing, Nora’s mind went blank for a second. Unable to believe what she had just heard, she yelled, “Armond, you’ve gone mad! Our child is so young! Where are you taking him to?”
Armond was not moved by Nora’s display of outrage. With a frosty expression, he replied, “I will be responsible for my own child. You don’t have to worry.”
“What do you mean… “ Nora’s voice trailed off.
Ignoring the woman’s words, Armond crossed his arms in front of his chest and looked down at her while saying, “He is my child, so he will be well taken care of no matter where he goes. You should feel honored to have given birth to a kid who’s as outstanding as me.”
Suddenly, Jackson’s reminder flashed across Nora’s mind. Those who suffered from antisocial personality disorder were incapable of loving anyone. Even if they chose to enter into a relationship and eventually got married, their objective was to have a child who was exactly like them…
After Armond finished speaking, he slumped hard onto the chair and announced, “I’ve completed my mission. I’m feeling so exhausted. From now onward, my child will be responsible for taking over what I did not manage to complete in this life… “
No one knew what Armond was fantasizing about at that moment. It seemed like he had suddenly ascended to a whole new level and wore a contented expression on his face.
Suddenly, Anthony yelled, “Run!”
Before I could react, my legs had already lifted up in the air. Anthony was holding my hands tightly as the both of us dashed towards the exit.
As we ran, I could hear Armond’s eerie laughter lingering behind us. “Hahaha, it’s too late, Anthony! In the end, you have still lost to me… “
Thereafter, sounds of explosions could be heard continuously.
My last memory was Anthony holding my hand as we ran for our lives amidst the explosions. The force of the explosions was so powerful, causing sand from the golf course to propel into the air. With our visions blurred, we accidentally ran into another explosion site while escaping from one site. The blast sent Anthony and I flying into the deep ocean.
An awful stench consumed my senses, the effect of Anthony’s blood gushing out of his wound from his injured arm. As the effect of the poison kicked in, I slowly ran out of strength. He held me in his arms and tried to swim us back to the shore.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.
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