Soon, their car stopped outside the castle.
“This is where you’re staying?” Erin asked, gaping.
“Yeah,” Abigail replied.
“Well, it beats your mansion in Zidonia, at least,” Erin said.
“Yeah,” Abigail replied-the environment was certainly peaceful and quiet.
Just as they walked up the steps, they found Pierre glaring at two men before him and arguing, “There must be a mistake. We never ordered that.”
Abigail walked up to them and asked, ’What is it?”
“They said they’re delivering food ingredients,” Pierre answered. “They said we ordered it, but we didn’t.”
Even before he finished, both men had run back to their car and were hightailing it.
Abigail promptly sensed something fishy-this was not your ordinary delivery! She turned toward the box placed on the ground right then!
Did those men put something dangerous in the box?!
Abigail became nervous at the thought and told Pierre, “Get Stan and Zachary.’
“Also…” She then turned to Erin and Eagle and said solemnly, ‘You two should go inside.’
Eagle was the best fighter among them, and she would only be at ease if he was in the castle with Diarmuid and their children.
“Yes, ma’am,” Eagle said and turned to Erin. ’Let’s go, Ms. Gooding.’
Erin pursed her lips, but she followed Eagle in the end.
Abigail did not dare to open the box alone, however, and waited until Stan and Zachary arrived.
Pointing at the box, she said, “Two suspicious men brought that. I don’t know what’s in it, but it might be dangerous!”
Stan and Zachary traded glances before Zachary turned back to Abigail. “You should go inside.’
Abigail nodded, and before she went into the castle, she turned and told them, “Be careful, both of you.’
Zachary waved her off. “Just go.”
Still, Abigail was looking back from time to time before she headed in, while both men watched and waited until she was really gone from sight.
That was so that the people inside would not be caught if it was some sort of explosive.
They then carried the box to a quiet road.
“So who’s going to open it?” Zachary asked.
Stan looked up at him.
Zachary sighed. “Fine, I’ll do it.”
“I didn’t say anything!” Stan exclaimed.
“Fine, you open it,’ Zachary said, rolling his eyes and turning to leave.
Naturally, he had planned that.
Somehow, Stan did not stop Zachary and actually told him to go further away. “Run as far as you can! If it’s a bomb, you might still get caught in the blast!’
“Come on,” Zachary moaned. “How could I leave you alone? We’re in this together!’
“Fine, then stay. We’ll just die together if it’s a bomb!” Stan said. “Think, man, think—one person can do this. Two people dying for it is stupid.”
Still, Zachary was not so afraid of death that he would leave the dangerous task to Stan himself.
After some discussion, they decided against risking the other person’s life.
A stalemate lasted for a while between them until they eventually agreed on using rock paper scissors to decide who would open it.
Zachary won. He promptly chased Stan away and pried open the box, and he frowned slightly when he saw the black bag inside.
Stan shouted from a distance, “What’s in the box?!’
Zachary said nothing because he did not open the bag yet.
But being an experienced doctor, he felt a sudden pang of fear toward what it might be.
And when he picked up the scent of rot right then, he became even more reluctant to open the black bag!
What if it was a corpse? And it could well be James’s corpse, too!
His heart was leaping up his throat, while an impatient Stan ran to him.
Seeing the black bag, he asked, “Guess it’s not a bomb. What’s in it, though? N
Zachary’s expression remained grim as he stayed silent.
Stan came to a realization and pursed his lips. “No. No way…’
Then, trying to reassure Zachary as much as himself, he said, “Come on. James is always the smartest! He can get away even if he’s caught!”
With that, Zachary arched his back and reached out to pull the zipper on the black bag!
Stan closed his eyes, afraid to look just then!
As Zachary pulled the zipper, the sound seemed so loud it was deafening!
Stan’s lips were trembling, but he did not dare to make a sound.
At the same time, Zachary opened the zipper and forced himself to see what he did not want to see.
It was a leg, still soaked in blood.
Thankfully, it was not an entire corpse.
Zachary stared at it grimly.
On the other hand, Stan had not been hearing anything for a while, and he slowly opened his eyes!
He stumbled backward when he saw what it was.
However, he was not so faint-hearted that mere gore would scare him.
He was afraid that it was James’s leg!
“Our location is compromised,” Zachary said quietly then.
Stan nodded.
The gangsters obviously had their address. That was how they sent this here.
“Doesn’t that mean everyone is in danger?” Stan asked.
Zachary did not respond to that. “Check whose leg it is. I’ll tell Diarmuid.”
Stan nodded. “Okay.”
In the castle, Abigail could hear Erin sobbing on the couch when she entered, in shock that Diarmuid was blind.
She had presumed Abigail meant that Diarmuid’s eye was scarred or something along those lines. She did not expect him to lose his sight!
“Don’t worry. It’s treatable,” Abigail said, walking up to her and comforting her, patting her on the back. “See? That’s why James and everyone didn’t want to tell you. We’re worried you’d take it badly.”
Erin wiped her eyes and tried to calm herself just then, and she turned to Diarmuid. “You should come to Minerva with me. They have the best optometrists over there, and we should be quick to make sure there are no lingering effects-’
Before Erin finished, Zachary rushed into the room, cutting her short.
“Diarmuid.” He panted, but seeing the others in the room, he walked up to Diarmuid and whispered to him, telling him what just happened.
Diarmuid’s brow twitched. “Are you sure?”
“No, but isn’t it obvious?” Zachary pointed out.
Abigail glanced between them, knowing that they must be talking about the box.
“Tell Stan to find someone to check if it is,” Diarmuid said.
“Yes, I’ll do that,” Zachary replied. “But right now, we need to move. It isn’t safe here.”
Diarmuid nodded. “Make preparations right away.”
Zachary nodded and turned to leave, but he soon turned around and told Diarmuid quietly, ’Any property under your name would be found easily. Stay at my place instead-I bought it years ago, and it’s hard to trace.”
“Yeah,” Diarmuid said softly and then said, “Abigail? Let’s go to our room.’
As he got up, Abigail hurried to his side and helped him to his feet while turning to tell Erin, “Tommy misses you. It’s been a while since you last saw him.”
“Okay,” Erin said, getting to her feet. ‘Til go see him right now.’
Once they were in their room, Abigail quickly asked Diarmuid, “What’s in the box?
“A leg,” Diarmuid replied.
Abigail was left gaping and almost wobbled right then.
However, Diarmuid quickly told her, “Nothing’s confirmed yet. Don’t jump to conclusions!”
Abigail composed herself then. “Well, what should we do now?”
“They sent the box right to our doorstep,” Diarmuid said. “That means they know where we are. We’re not safe here.”
“Well, where should we go?” Abigail asked.
“Zachary will make the arrangements.”
Abigail nodded, but was feeling more uneasy by the second.
Her heart was pounding as she remembered that Erin was right outside, and that she had already been wounded thoroughly back at Zidonia. That incident cost her lively nature!
And now…
But she loved James so much!
“What if it really is James?” Abigail murmured.
“Abigail?”
The door suddenly opened!
Abigail jumped in surprise at Erin’s sudden arrival.
Still, she soon composed herself and spoke as calmly as possible. “What’s wrong?”
Erin glanced between Abigail and Diarmuid before saying awkwardly, “Sorry I didn’t knock. Am I disturbing?”
“No,” Abigail quickly said.
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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