Leopold and Matthew had just finished loading the Abernathy family into the van, including Cormac, when the stench inside hit them like a wave, almost driving them back out the door. But seeing Vivienne and the others frozen by the bedside, Leopold steeled himself and stepped inside.
The woman on the bed was a shadow of her former self, her hair tangled and matted like weeds upon the pillow. Her face was streaked with dirt, and it looked like the Abernathys hadn't bothered to clean her in ages. If it weren't for the faint rise and fall of her chest, Leopold might have mistaken her for a corpse.
Wait a minute!
Those features...
How come she looked a bit like Percival?
Realizing this, Leopold's pupils dilated, his finger pointing shakily at the woman on the bed.
Then he glanced at Percival, whose stony face was unreadable, and noticed the air around him growing colder and heavier. Leopold took a step back, feeling as if his throat had been seized. He couldn't manage to utter a complete sentence.
Finally, it was Vivienne who broke the silence. "Mr. Wolf, let's get her out of here first."
She was genuinely shocked. They had only come to fetch a witness back to Rivenwood, and here they were, stumbling upon the very person Percival had spent years searching for.
Mr. Wolf's aunt, the Ellington heiress-Holly Ellington!
"Gavin Abernathy!"
occasional flash of headlights that flickered before Vivienne's eyes. Percival, with lips pressed together and eyes as cold as ice, stared into
seemed to crawl
spoke. His voice was hoarse, almost eerie in the pitch-black setting, yet Vivienne heaved a sigh of relief as she said, "Mr. Wolf, trust me, I will heal your aunt." Percival's grim expression
up inside him toward Gavin
in an unknown hospital with professional care to at least keep
even he couldn't suppress the
understood where that foul stench lingering
Holly's withered body,
Percival felt
his sanity reminded him that those people were still useful. But the agony he felt
bury his head deeper into Vivienne's stomach, his clenched eyes hiding the torrent
his hair as a chill flashed in her eyes. "Mr. Wolf, the dead do not deserve our
last time he had seen
warrior lineage was formidable, but was
about, they couldn't just hand their life over to the Grim
phone rang then, and he glanced at the
"Hand it over."
the
cool yet tinged with anger, came
didn't need to guess; she knew Gavin must have stirred up
graves. They've taken the ashes and are threatening that if we don't hand over the secret recipe
on the phone tightened as she inhaled deeply. "How is Kaitlyn
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
The Novel will be updated daily. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!