"What's the punishment for disrespecting the leader? You've been in the organization long enough to remember the rules, haven't you?" Emma slowly raised the gun level with her eyes: "I should shoot your skull open, shouldn't I?"
Her target was not the man's head, but his arm. As the bullet tore through his flesh, he immediately clutched his wounded arm, his body crumpling in pain.
Emma smirked: "According to the rules, I should've shot your skull open, but because the young miss is kind-hearted and doesn't want to take any lives on her first day, you'll only lose an arm as a reminder to you, and the others." She swept her gaze across the crowd, her eyes daring anyone to step forward.
Sometimes, violence was far more effective than mere words. With one move of Emma's gun, no one dared to voice their dissent.
Flora's father watched from behind as his daughter handled the situation, nodding approvingly. She was indeed his child, with his blood in her veins and a spirit that echoed his younger self. Her first encounter with the dark forces she now commanded was met with unflinching resolve, effectively subduing these stubborn men.
"My daughter is my only heir. I will personally groom her to be worthy of this position. If you do not trust me, you are free to leave." With these words, the crowd once again fell silent.
Retreating from this underworld was incredibly difficult. The greatest taboo was betrayal. If anyone wanted to leave today, they would be regarded as a traitor to the organization. Don't even think about joining another faction, there were no guarantees they would live to see the light of another day.
Out of the crowd's sight, Flora hurriedly moved to her father's side and whispered: "Why did you do this? I don't need..."
"There's no reason, the only reason is that you are my daughter." Her father answered casually: "You are my only daughter, isn't it only natural that I would pass the power to you? The necklace is a symbol that gives you the right to control our forces across the world. It's very important, so you need to take good care of it."
He sighed: "For over twenty years, I haven't fulfilled my duties as a father. All things considered, this is the best I can give you. Our organization may not be the most powerful in the underworld, but it holds a stable position." At least it could guarantee the safety of his daughter and grandchildren.
Flora understood her father's intentions, but: "I never planned on being part of the underworld. It's the best choice, but only the best choice in your mind. Have you ever asked what I want?"
She twisted her lips, her face contorting: "Houses... wealth... money... power... have you ever asked me? Do you know what I want? Do I want all these things, or just a peaceful and happy life with mom and you?"
She didn't need those things. All she wanted was a normal life like any other family. But for her, achieving this seemingly simple dream was incredibly difficult.
"It seems you still don't understand. You never regretted abandoning mom and me all those years, did you?" As she finished, she quickly walked away, leaving her father without the opportunity to catch up.
Her father stood dumbfounded for a moment before briskly moving forward to grab a trusted subordinate.
After conveying the entire tale, he shook his head, displeased with his own demeanor: "I can't understand my daughter's emotions, her thoughts, I've no idea what she's contemplating.
"Perhaps, you should... Send someone to aid her."
"To assist her?" His subordinate blinked, took a few seconds to comprehend that 'her' referred to Matthew: "Do you mean to send someone to support Matthew, sir? The waters are deep there..."
"Who else would it be?
"The girl's mother said that if anything happens to that lad, her daughter will never forgive me.
"Remind him to keep his boundaries and not overstep them.
"No matter the cost, he must return to me alive." He sighed deeply again, his hand massaging his temples: "Tell me, did I make a mistake?" He had been wrong over two decades ago and was still wrong now.
And he had no clue how to rectify it anymore.
Even less idea of how to stop making those around him uncomfortable...
"We clearly parked here just a moment ago... where could it have gone? Did I remember it wrong... Emma?" Flora stared fixedly at the spot now devoid of their car.
Ever since her father recognized her as his heiress, she was no longer confined to the basement of her mother's little house.
She could go to the supermarket, take a stroll downtown, as long as she accepted that she would be escorted.
It was not inconvenient, for they usually remained inconspicuous.
If she remembered correctly, less than half an hour ago, she and Emma parked here before entering the supermarket.
Could there really be someone audacious enough to steal the car right under the noses of the organization's men? And actually succeed?
"I remember..." Emma furrowed her brows, striving to recall anything related to the vehicle: "It was right here, but..." But presently, there was no car in sight.
"The shabby and unsophisticated vehicle was unworthy of Miss Flora, so this humble servant took the liberty of having it towed away without your permission, please forgive me! I simply couldn't bear to see a beauty like you seated in such a car." A man's voice unexpectedly rang out, peculiarly styled and strangely articulated.
Flora's face darkened, who was this oddball intruding upon her life now?
Emma startled, instinctively stepping in front of her young mistress, anxiously scanning the surroundings for the source of the voice: "Miss, this voice seems familiar, it belongs to..."
"The little one need not introduce me.
"For a transcendent beauty like our Miss Flora, that would be an affront." A man opened the door of a gleaming car, stepped out, and approached Flora: "Greetings, Miss, I'm Hubert.
From today onwards, I am your assistant, a-special-assistant."
The man was dressed in an unbuttoned white shirt, a casual yet rakish appearance.
His long legs clad in black trousers, paired with immaculate leather shoes.
His hair slicked back, revealing a handsome face that seemed untrustworthy.
His hands were gloved in black leather, and as he approached Flora, he hastily removed one glove, held her hand, and bent to kiss it.
Flora was confounded by his flurry of actions and words, she shot a desperate look at Emma for help.
Don't tell her this madman really belonged to the organization?
Emma sighed and gave a slight nod, corroborating Hubert's previous statements.
He was indeed an "acquaintance" of Emma's, even though she hardly wanted to acknowledge it.
"Though it is our first meeting, I know that from today onwards, history will bind us together, and you, Miss, are the destiny of my life.
It is an honor for me to stand beside you..."
As Hubert prattled on, Flora was starting to get a headache, she couldn't help but interrupt him: "Sorry, but I'm already married."
"Ah, the injustice of the heavens.
Why couldn't I have met a beauty like you before Blood Falcon?" Hubert pretended to sigh: "This is purely an issue of timing and sequence.
That Blood Falcon has nothing over me."
"Blood Falcon?" Flora automatically filtered out Hubert's pompous words, paying attention only to the information she deemed important.
Hubert nodded, entirely nonchalant: "Yes, Blood Falcon Matthew, that's him.
Others may not know, but I..." He snorted dismissively: "His tricks are too amateur to deceive me.
Just tell me what you wish to know, Miss, I can unearth any secret for you."
Flora furrowed her brows, connecting the dots.
If Matthew was referred to as Blood Falcon, he was undoubtedly the head of the underworld organization, Blood Falcon.
In other words, his disappearance the last time was orchestrated by his own men.
He hid this very well; had Hubert not revealed it today, she wouldn't have known.
After the trio got into the car, the radiant red vehicle confidently hit the road.
Flora sat pensively on the co-pilot's seat, her chin resting on her hand as she stared out into the distance, contemplating recent events.
"Hubert, is it true that you can unearth any secret?" she queried.
Hubert was about to respond when Emma, sitting at the back, snorted: "That's definitely a lie! How could Hubert possibly have such prowess? If he really could discover every secret, he'd have long been the head of the world's largest clandestine intelligence organization."
"Why so feisty, little girl? Your fire has built up quite a lot in our short time apart." Hubert chuckled, appearing as though he was challenged by a child and found it of no consequence. He then turned to Flora: "Before meeting Miss Flora, I gathered some information. What would you like to know?"
Flora whispered: "A phone number..."
"The number of Dr. Andrey? Didn't I guess right? Such a coincidence, this number happens to be one I prepared earlier." He casually pulled out a mobile phone, dialed a sequence of digits, and made a call.
Flora had met Andrey a few times. She knew he was Paul's primary doctor, but she didn't have his number.
Matthew was currently out of the country, and his people were determined to keep her in the dark about the true circumstances. Making contact with Andrey was even more challenging.
Quickly, Andrey answered the phone.
"Andrey, it's Flora." She tightened her grip on the phone, making every effort to steady her trembling voice: "Regarding Paul's condition, I know everything now. I want to ask you, what is the current situation exactly? Is Matthew there?"
Andrey responded promptly, without a shred of hesitation: "Yes, he's here, or more precisely, he's with Paul. The girl's condition, I must confess, is not very promising. The prognosis is bleak... She used to have a steady mental state, incredibly optimistic and cheerful, which kept her going. But now..." Andrey let out a long sigh.
Everyone knows the mental state of a patient is crucial. But faced with such a formidable disease, having undergone a near-fruitless surgery, even the most stalwart individual could crumble, let alone a child.