âMr. Lane, Mr. Goldstein and his wife live in a mansion on Hallowed Avenue where the wealthy resided. They usually keep a very low profile and seldom leave the house. In the past two years, they have a listed shipping company in Anglandur, and itâs doing pretty well. However, rumor had it that they got into a spot of trouble and offended a local gang. But considering Mr. Goldsteinâs capabilities, heâll probably resolve such a trivial matter in no time.â
âWhatâs their address exactly?â Christopher inquired after listening to his assistantâs report.
His assistant took out a business card and placed it before Christopher and me. âHereâs the address and also their usual itinerary. Theyâre mostly at home and rarely go out. If you want to see them, you can go straight to the mansion. Should I prepare a car?â the assistant asked.
Christopher then placed the address in front of me. âHereâs the location. If we drive there, itâll take less than half an hour.â
Having not talked to Isabelle at the auction yesterday, I had been in a despondent mood. And naturally, Christopher could tell, so he investigated Markâs residence early in the morning and presented it to me.
I picked up the business card and placed it in my hand. As the thin piece of paper came into contact with my palm, it was immediately soaked with sweat. Recalling her resolute departure last night, I shook my head with a smile. âNever mind. Letâs go back to Hawen. There must be a pile of work waiting for you in the office since youâve been away for so many days. Also, Julia is probably going to reproach me when we return.â
âAre you sure you donât want to go?â Christopher was a touch surprised since he knew full well that I longed to see Isabelle.
Flashing him a faint smile, I tried my best to make myself appear relaxed. âYeah, itâs okay. From the look of things, she must be living a good life now. Perhaps I shouldnât disrupt her life. Many years have passed, after all, so thereâs no point doing so.â
âWhat a silly girl!â
At my insistence, Christopher didnât mention going to see Isabelle anymore. Instead, he asked his assistant to book two flight tickets for the premium economy class. When we were leaving, I looked back at the bustling streets of Norham while standing at the boarding gate before I finally headed toward the cabin resolutely.
Some things are just that unexpected. At the turning point in my life, I encountered a piece of beautiful scenery, but I didnât stay. Instead, all that was left were melancholy and loss.
Sitting on the comfortable couch, I suddenly caught sight of Isabelleâs photo in the newspaper in the hands of the person right in front of me.
Truth be told, I never expected to see a news report about her in the newspaper. In the next second, I glimpsed the word âshootingâ and instantly shuddered as fear struck me. I snatched the newspaper from the personâs hands and clutched it tightly in my hands. The man cursed me out, but I ignored him. Noticing the situation, Christopherâs assistant hurriedly went over and mollified the man.
The newspaper briefly reported about a shooting that took place after the auction last night. Someone wanted to kill the Chairman of Illuminati Shipping, Mark, and even attempted to kidnap his wife to blackmail him. Fortunately, he sensed something amiss and worked with the police, so the perpetrators had been apprehended. At present, both he and his wife were fine.
Only when I saw that they were fine did I breathe a sigh of relief. At that moment earlier, my heart had leaped to my throat, and a sheen of cold sweat broke out on my forehead. Exchanging a glance with Christopher, I let out a long sigh of relief.
With the newspaper in hand, I read it again and again. When we disembarked from the plane, my mood already improved significantly. The sky seemed bright, and the ground felt exceedingly solid. The scenery that lay before my eyes was also incredibly stunning. Strolling around the garden in the airport, I pointed at the huge fountain and grinned idiotically. âLook, Chris, I never thought that the scenery at the airport could be so lovely.â
Without warning, a group of journalists came out of nowhere and started snapping away at me, and some even tried to get close to me. Seeing that, Christopher promptly pulled me into his arms and shielded me while his assistants surrounded us and acted as a barrier.
âMs. Tanner, can you please say something about your painting being exhibited at Mr. Ansleyâs art exhibition? How do you feel about that? You and Remington are the only two painters among the younger generation in Hawen who have their works exhibited at such a grand art exhibition. How did you accomplish that?â
âMs. Tanner, your painting of Moonlight Heaven was auctioned off at a sky-high price of eighty million, and you even donated all the proceeds to the impoverished mountainous areas. This matter has caused a stir in Avenport. Besides, your technique of making flowers bloom when water was splashed on them had been widely circulated on the internet. Many people are curious about how you accomplished that. Do you mind explaining it?â