Alan was released from prison. He arrogantly swaggered into Cherry's house.
He did not let Cherry know he'd be coming by. When Cherry had finally come back from her visit at the
hospital, it was quite late at night. She was startled that the lights were on in her house. She wanted to
call the police, afraid that a thief might be inside, but after considering her identity as a celebrity, she
though it wise not to contact them. She cautiously opened the front door.
Cherry felt rather lucky that she had not jumped to any conclusions, and impulsively called the police.
She was greeted by the sight of Alan casually seated in the lounge, the TV blaring.
All color drained from her face when she saw him. She heaved a burdensome sigh.
"What? Are you actually surprised? Don't be rude. Why don't you welcome me back?" Alan put down
the beer he had been drinking and turned to face her. He seemed to be in good spirits and had a
jocund tone.
He had been incarcerated at that horrid prison for quite some time. Now that he was finally free, it
made sense that he would be in such a cheery mood.
Cherry forced a smile and shook her head in response. She tried to calm her nerves. She approached
him and said, "Of course I am happy to see you've finally been released from that hell hole, unharmed.
Have you eaten? Are you hungry?"
Alan looked her up and down, trying to gauge her stance. He had forced her to spend intimate
moments with Luke and caused her much grief. He figured that she must be so livid that she would
want to kill him, once and for all. He wondered how it was humanly possible that she could hold back
her anger after everything he had done.
Regardless of what she was possibly feeling, she walked straight to the fridge, took out a selection of
fresh vegetables and made her way to the preparation counter in the kitchen.
After a long and tiring day, she went straight to the hospital to pay Luke a visit, before she had even
had dinner. She was ravenous.
She rinsed off the vegetables and began chopping them carefully. She could feel Alan's eyes on her
and looked up. Their eyes met. In this light, his eyes looked even darker than she remembered, and
she couldn't read the mixed, confusing expression on his face.
She thought that maybe she had looked up so quickly that Alan had no time to avert his gaze. He
immediately broke eye contact.
"I've already eaten something. Plus, I wouldn't risk eating a meal cooked by you, anyway. I want to live
for a few more years at least." Finishing his sentence, he plonked himself back on the couch. He
started thinking about the situation. Since she could hire a killer to deal with Luke, it was possible that
she might poison food that she gave him. He would have to be very cautious from now on.
He realized that this woman was capable of anything.
She understood exactly what he was getting at with that statement. Her mouth twisted into a sneer as
she continued chopping the vegetables. 'Isn't it his fault anyway that my life has become so miserable?'
she thought wryly.
Plus, she wasn't stupid enough to poison him in her own home.
It made it easier for her if she didn't have to cook for him too. She put some of the ingredients back in
the fridge since she'd just be making a single serving for herself. She got on with cooking, acting as if
she was wholly unaffected by his presence or sly comments.
Alan appeared as if he were engrossed in watching television, but he was actually paying close
attention to the sounds she was making in the kitchen. He heard her chewing as well as the sound of
her chopsticks gently tapping against her dish.
She was way too calm for his liking. He had thought she would detest him, treating with him contempt,
especially after their most recent fallings-out. He had not imagined, not even in his wildest dreams, that
she would just pretend like nothing had happened.
But was this actually all to her behavior... was there perhaps more?
With a scowl, he turned off the television. Without further ado, he made his way upstairs.
She had paid the large police bribe so Alan's time in jail had been comfortable, but it did not compare
to the stately mansion she lived in, filled with spoils and comforts. He needed a good sleep.
Looking at his departing silhouette, she released her true feelings, tightening her hold on her
chopsticks so that blue veins started to become very visible on the back of her hands. Her eyes
became icy and murderous. 'Alan and Luke...Do you really think I will let you live in peace after what
you put me through?' she thought vengefully.
How could she tolerate such insulting treating? She would have to fight back and deal her own blows to
these men.
Elsewhere, Kevin was sitting anxiously in the local police station, awaiting his interrogation.
A policewoman sat opposite him. She was around middle age and wore a pair of spectacles. She gave
him a sharp look, adjusted the glasses on her face and curled her lip.
The man before her was strikingly handsome, like the mythological Prince Charming so often
referenced in fairytales. Usually, she had seen him on television only, yet now he was sitting before her
very eyes, looking particularly dejected.
Even if the matter was concerning the serious issue of murder, Kevin was able to remain calm as he
sat in the interrogation room. He acted as if everything was going just fine. His self-confidence exuded
an aura which made people dealing with him feel pressurized and nervous.
A man of this stature was not to be challenged easily. He would not be easy to deal with or intimidate
into providing information.
But considering Kevin's influence and substantial pecuniary resources, the police must have well-
founded grounds and evidence to have thought the time was ripe to bring him in for questioning. This in
mind, it must be a mere formality that they had brought him in for questioning. They would charge him
with the crime thereafter, having just procedurally satisfied the interrogation requirement.
"Is Colin your partner?" the policewoman asked.
Kevin sat quietly, looking at the policewoman before him. He gave a small nod, frowned and then
queried, "Is there any trace of him?"
"Yes, indeed!" The police woman nodded, and added with somewhat of a grimace, "There were traces
of blood found in a river a few kilometers from the construction site. We conducted a DNA test and the
blood was a match for Colin."
Kevin's facial expression changed instantly when he heard this grim piece of information. It meant that
Colin was, at the very least, very badly injured. Perhaps he had even been killed and dumped in the
river.
'This situation...' Kevin's thoughts trailed off.
He clenched his fists tightly in frustration. His eyes became cold with hate and vexation. First, Anne
had spotted Kim. Now, something suspicious had happened with Colin. He had disappeared without a
trace - except for a trace of his blood. Even an idiot could guess that there was some relation between
these incidents and figure out who the killer was.
It was this cold-blooded murderer which really caused Kevin distress.
Kim was a savage man. He would not rest until he achieved exactly what he set out to do. To make
matters worse, he had been defeated by Kevin and his black-market businesses had taken a huge
knock. No one really knew just how much of a loss he had suffered, but it would have been exorbitant.
How could Kim ever forgive the suffering Kevin had caused him and just let him go without taking his
revenge?
If Kim just wanted vengeance on Kevin, Kevin had no fear and would deal with him head-on.
However, Kim was an intelligent and vicious man when it came to his tactics of dealing with people. If
he wanted to cause a person true harm, he would strike their Achilles' heel. He would identify what
would cause him the most deep-seated agony and attack. Kim was well aware that Kevin's Achilles'
tendon was none other than his darling wife, Anne, and their kids. Had Kim attacked Colin as a warning
that he was coming for him, perhaps to make him suffer in the suspense before he made his move? Or
perhaps Kim just wanted to make a statement to Kevin to let him know that he was back and in full
form?
If either of this were the case, one thing was certain: Colin was dead.
"This matter has nothing to do with me. You shouldn't have targeted me for no reason. Besides, if you
don't have any direct proof that I am implicated in this murder, you should release me." Kevin could not
stand being here.
With a poker face, the policewoman put away the documents from the docket, and said baldly, "We
have evidence."
When Kevin heard her words, his expression darkened and he stared into space. He thought to
himself, contemptuously, 'Sure. Was it this easy for Kim to have framed me?
Anne... are you okay, right now? Are you safely in our home? Were the kids fine? What about Mom?'
He couldn't sit here not knowing whether his family was safe or not. A voice inside him told him firmly
that he needed to get out of there this very minute.
No matter the consequences, he had to do this, right now!
Kevin made an important call. An amenable-sounding voice could be heard on the other end of the line.
Kevin began to talk after a little hesitance.
This was not the A City, where Kevin exerted much influence. Everything was not under his control
here, but he could still contact his connections there to exercises at least some degree of control here.
After all, Kevin had connections all over the place. His network was not confined to the city limits.
As anticipated, he was released from detainment within the hour. He peered up into the sky outside,
squinting slightly in the bright light.
He was released, but he remained a prime suspect.
"Mr. Kevin, for your own safety, our men will protect you and keep a close eye on you." The police chief
had approached and advised Kevin in what seemed to be an agreeable tone.
Kevin gave him a frigid look. There was a flicker of derision in his eyes. The chief was accompanied by
two burly policemen, who were clearly there to prevent him from making an escape.
If Kevin had in fact committed the crime, he would not let anyone find anything to be against him.
However, since he was most definitely innocent, why should he refuse the protection provided by the
police force?
"Okay." With a smile, Kevin nodded. The chief was relieved to see that Kevin didn't refuse.
"I'm Noah and this is Max." One of the accompanying policemen made their introduction.
Kevin nodded in acknowledgement. He turned and took his leave. He had wasted too much precious
time at this place. He needed to urgently make his way back to Anne in A City.
Meanwhile, Anne was anxious. She was worried over the fact that Kevin had still not returned. She ran
many scenarios through her mind, hoping that none of them would come true.
Anne's phone rang - it was Kevin. She hurriedly answered the phone. Without giving him a chance to
even greet her, she asked, "Kevin, have you been able to find Colin? How is everything going on your
end?"
"Colin has been officially listed as a missing person. I am a suspect in the case but it doesn't matter
right now. I'm at the airport so I'll be home soon. Don't fret too much now. We'll discuss everything
when I'm back." Hearing Kevin's voice dispensed much of the pent up anxiety in Anne.
The sound of his calm voice slowly lowered her heart rate, which had been practically beating through
her chest just moments ago. She hung up, feeling comforted.
It was very comforting to know that Kevin was making his way to her.
The police had urged Anne to meet them at the station several times, but she refused time and time
again. It was not that she was afraid to go to see the police. It was more that she did not want to leave
their home.
But Kevin would be back soon.
Anne felt a wave of relief wash over her. She took a deep breath in and relaxed.
However, when she saw the two men close on Kevin's tail, her nerves began to flare up again.
The two men stood erect, vigilance reflected in their sharp eyes. There were only two possible
explanations: these men were highly-trained bodyguards - or they were policemen.
Over the past few days, Anne had spoken to Kevin at least once a day. He had been constant in his
reassurance of her that she had nothing to worry about. But how could she rest assured knowing that
Colin was missing? She thought that the only logical conclusion was that the men were indeed part of
the police force.
"Kevin..." She threw herself into his arms, her eyes fraught with anxiety.
He smiled and placed his hand affectionately on her cheek. This made her feel secure and calm.
"Everything is going to be just fine," Kevin said softly.
Anne responded with a heavy nod. She grabbed Kevin's hand and did not let go. Selma came
downstairs and was pleasantly surprised by Kevin's presence.
"Kevin! You're here! I was so worried about you," she said, taking a step towards him with concern.
"I'm so sorry to have put you through that, Mom. I should have returned much earlier," Kevin said softly,
with a hint of guilt in his tone.
"It's okay." Selma understood that Kevin had his own affairs to attend to when he went on these trips.
He looked exhausted, indicating that he had really put in all his energy to the work he had to complete.
She said, "I'm just so happy that you have returned safely. It's really such a welcome surprise."
Kevin looked up the stairway unconsciously. He was met by 4 sets of curious little eyes peering back at
him.
Kevin felt a lump in his throat as he filled with emotion. He waved to the children to come to him. They
all ran down in great excitement. Sally tried to climb up Kevin, attempting to scale his arms and legs.
Kevin held her warmly in his arms.
"Daddy, you're finally here! We missed you so much!" Sally nestled her face into Kevin's neck, and
kissed him lovingly on the cheek.
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