"I'd appreciate it if you could look after the boy for me. I need to go home and have a conversation with Emma." she said to one of Matthew's subordinates.
His brow furrowed slightly, and after a moment's pause, he suggested: "Under the current circumstances, I recommend that you, Ms. Flora, limit your public appearances. If you need to speak with the girl, you could invite her over. But... I still think you should avoid contact with those of unknown background."
"It's fine." Flora nodded gently, then turned to Mimi and instructed: "Summon Emma here for me."
Emma was always fast.
From the end of the call to the ringing of the doorbell, less than ten minutes had passed.
As the door swung open, the girl threw herself into Flora's arms, her eyes filled with tears: "Miss, you're okay... I've been so worried, I've lost my appetite and sleep! Why did the police let you go?" Didn't the White family bribe them? Their usual mode of operation didn't involve arresting someone and then setting them free, unlike what they'd done with Selena.
Flora didn't answer Emma's question, instead she walked into the house, beckoning: "Follow me, Emma."
Only then did the young girl realize that something was amiss with her mistress's demeanor.
Unsure of what was to be discussed, she nervously followed.
The two entered an empty room.
Flora sank into a chair, sighing heavily: "Emma, how have I treated you lately?"
Confusion flitted across Emma's eyes, and she answered: "Very well. You've treated me like a sister, Miss. But if there's something you want to say..."
Before Emma could finish, Flora signaled for her to stop speaking.
"Given how well I've treated you, shouldn't you refrain from deceiving me?"
Flora's demeanor was eerily calm, as if she were discussing the weather.
But the more casual she seemed, the colder Emma's sweat became.
She didn't know how much Flora had guessed - or more accurately, discovered - about the truth.
She could only await Flora's next words: "My mother surely isn't the one who hired you, she doesn't have the funds or connections to hire an underworld assassin to protect her daughter. You mean no harm to me and you respect my mother. Emma, who exactly are you working for? Or rather... who do you belong to?"
The truth was just beneath the surface, a thin veil away.
Flora observed Emma intently, missing no subtle shift in her expression.
She had a suspicion, the most plausible one at present.
Emma hung her head, evading Flora's gaze.
She seemed to shrink, like a dampened rice cake, devoid of vitality.
"Miss, it's not that I don't want to tell you, it's just... I can't. As an underworld assassin and bodyguard, I must obey my master's orders. Absolutely cannot tell. Also, you've already guessed it, haven't you, Miss? Why do you need me to confirm it?"
Indeed, even without Emma's confirmation, Flora had an inkling of the truth.
In this world, besides her mother and Matthew, the only person who could be concerned about her safety, who could send someone to protect her, was that man.
Her biological father, Edsel Tremblay.
She sighed, her fingers idly playing with her sleeve: "Is he... well?"
Speaking of a father she'd never met, there were countless questions she wanted to ask.
Yet all that came out was the most mundane and meaningless inquiry.
Is he well? Does he ever think of her mother? Does he know he has a daughter lost in the world? He must know, right? If he didn't, Emma wouldn't be by her side.
"Miss..." Emma reached out, intending to comfortingly pat Flora's shoulder, but promptly withdrew her hand: "There are things I cannot divulge..."
"Why can't you speak? I don't ask where he is, whether he remembers us or not.
All I ask is whether he is well.
I am his own flesh and blood, logically speaking... I have every right to know everything about him."
Logically, that was true.
But...
Emma shook her head: "At least, not now.
Miss, please trust that he only has your and madam's best interests at heart.
You have waited for over twenty years, please, bear it a little longer!"
"Over twenty years... So, everyone knew he had abandoned us for over twenty years..." Flora mumbled, her lips twisting in a self-deprecating smile: "We've managed to fend for ourselves without him for these twenty years.
So what significance does his appearance now hold?"
Flora had a storm of emotions for this father she had never met.
On one hand, she hated him, detested him, and wished he'd never appear in her life.
On the other, she could not help secretly yearning, secretly speculating about what kind of man her father was.
As a child, she frequently pestered her mother with questions, wanting to know what her father looked like, whether he was kind or cruel.
But as she grew older, her curiosity about her parents' past gradually faded.
Until she thought she had forgotten, only for him to send someone suddenly, asserting his existence.
"Men... they're despicable! They think they are doing good, thinking for others, coming and going as they please.
On what grounds do they force others to wait? On what grounds... do they arbitrarily decide the future of two people like that?"
It's supposed to be a shared future, so why does he think he can decide on his own?
Flora herself didn't know, whether these words were for that father she had never met, or for that insufferable man named Charles who's whereabouts were unknown.
She only knew, no matter the reason, leaving is still leaving, abandonment is still abandonment.
No matter how justified the reason, it cannot be as if the period of separation never happened.
"Damn it!" Matthew sneezed, covering his mouth, his cold, emotionless eyes fixed on the figure standing beside the bed: "Let me return!"
He was severely injured, only recently regaining consciousness, but his spirit was not diminished at all.
If it was anyone else, they might have been overwhelmed by his imposing aura.
But the man standing beside the sickbed was from "that organization."
"Boss, you can't return." The man leaned against the wall, arms crossed, a crooked smile on his face: "You can't leave the island.
Your wound... just stepping out of this room, you've lost half your life already, trying to make it back to the mainland... you should start making funeral arrangements." His implication was, since funeral arrangements were inevitable, it might be better to rest in this picturesque island.
"Do you even remember that I'm your boss?" Matthew was infuriated: "On what grounds do you dare to confine your boss on an island?"
The man was not at all intimidated, he calmly tapped the wall with his fingers: "I'm leaning on the wall, can't you see?" Glancing at the blood-soaked bandages on Matthew's chest, he continued: "You are indeed my boss, I would follow your orders into boiling water or a raging fire.
I would not hesitate to give up my life.
But I cannot just watch as you march towards death."
"I won't die.
Arrange transportation off this island immediately, I need to return to... her side."
Matthew knew that those who held him captive on the island truly had his best interest at heart. However, he could not bear another day in this place.
His sudden disappearance had left dangers lurking in every corner. How could that foolish woman possibly protect herself, let alone their two children?
In the past few days, he had not heard his subordinates mention anything about the situation on the mainland. Even a fool could guess that there must be a problem they were unwilling to discuss.
Just as he had surmised, Flora - the foolish woman in his words, was indeed facing a significant amount of trouble.
Flora had escaped from temporary confinement. At the very least, this act was defiance against the law enforcement, at most, a prison break.
She took refuge in a house belonging to Matthew's acquaintances, not daring to step out for an entire day and night.
Until Ethelbert came looking for her.
"Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would voluntarily step into the den of Matthew's henchmen." he chuckled, his snake-like eyes unblinkingly focused on Flora.
"Don't say such distasteful things." Flora frowned slightly: "It was you who came here to find me."
"Of course, it was I who actively sought you out. You certainly couldn't have come to me..." He intentionally prolonged his speech: "Could you? Escaped prisoner."
He burst into laughter, not concealing his mockery: "Looking at your frail figure, I didn't expect you to be so audacious... So, you really don't want to come with me? Your taste is becoming more to my liking every day."
"Stop joking, I can't stand you." Flora shrugged: "You didn't come here just to chat idly with me, did you?"
Despite being straightforwardly told that she found him repulsive, Ethelbert showed no anger.
His laughter grew louder: "We are very close if you think about it." Flora's biological father was his adoptive father, so in essence, they were quite closely related.
"Finding you was truly laborious, avoiding all kinds of power struggles and avoiding the police who are secretly in alliance with the White family. But I still came here, it's enough to show how sincere my intentions towards you are..."
While he was still enthusiastically speaking, Flora, lacking patience, interrupted him: "Cut the crap, do you have any news related to Matthew?"
In truth, Flora still had faith in Matthew's legal enforcement in this town. It's just that she also believed in the cunning tactics of those influenced by the White family, hence her refusal to leave the house. To avoid unnecessary trouble.
Ethelbert, of course, understood this.
He didn't mention those trivial matters anymore, regained his seriousness, and pulled a phone from his pocket: "Do you recognize this symbol?" On the phone screen was a very clear picture.
A dark grey helicopter against a blue sky.
The tail displayed a symbol of a falcon spreading its wings.
Flora stared intently at the picture on Ethelbert's phone screen.
She remembered seeing this symbol somewhere, but she couldn't recall where.
"Blood Falcon. It's Blood Falcon's helicopter, don't play dumb with me." Ethelbert smirked: "Flora, you must understand this better than I do."
He vividly remembered the cold blade against his throat, life and death resting in someone else's hand.
That person belonged to Blood Falcon.
He also remembered what that person had said: "Flora is our boss's person."
Today, standing in front of him, Flora was pretending as if she had never heard of this organization. Who would believe that?
"Not... I really..." Flora shook her head, trying to rummage through her memory for related information.
Regrettably, it didn't help at all.
Ethelbert placed a finger on his lips, hushed softly, signaling her to stop speaking: "Matters relating to them, I don't need to tell you, and I have no obligation to tell you.
However, the news about Matthew, I have given to you.
You should fulfill your part of the deal now, shouldn't you?"
He had been toyed with by this woman once before.
This time, if she dared to play her games, he would certainly not let her get away with it.