âThe vacation is canceled.ââWhy? I also think that you need to take a break. Why did you cancel all of a sudden? Is it because thereâs a conflict between you and Xavier?â Lisanne asked concernedly.âThatâs not it.â At the thought of what she was about to say, Winnie couldnât help but turn solemn as she said with a heavy heart, âSomething bad happened to Mason, and Harold is the culprit.ââWhat do you mean? What happened to Mason? Is he all right?ââHeâs dead.âStumped, Lisanne fell silent for a few seconds before she asked, âAre you sure Harold is the culprit? But youâve tried multiple approaches to force him out of hiding previously, yet he remained hidden. He decides to stir up trouble now that youâve finally had the time to go on a holiday?ââYes. Apparently, heâs been keeping an eye on everything I did previously. Not only that, but heâs also very patient. He knew I was looking for him, so he didnât show himself. Now that I want to relax, he harmed my bodyguard, Mason. Therefore, I think we shouldnât meet up for the time being, Lisanne. I figure Harold must be secretly observing me using some method somewhere. Iâm worried Iâll drag you into this mess with me if he realizes weâre closely acquainted.ââWinnie, is the situation really that serious?ââYes. Harold is much more dangerous than you can imagine.ââAll right, then. I wonât add to your trouble. However, if you face any difficulties or require assistance, you must seek Lucas out at once. I may not be able to provide you with much help due to my limited capabilities, but Iâm confident Lucas can.ââOkay. I got it.â Winnie replied half-jokingly, âIâll definitely make full use of Lucas. After all, heâs free labor.âThen, she asked, âBy the way, you sounded very excited just now. Were you planning to treat me to a meal because Iâm going on vacation, or is there some other good news? Tell me so that I can share in your joy.ââIâll be glad if this news can cheer you up.â At the mention of the glad tidings, Lisanneâs voice sounded more upbeat too.
âYouâre also aware of the first matter. When the police went to meet with Mr. Bennett and Mdm. Sullivan the other day, I was coincidentally there. When they knew Christopher was still alive, the two were overjoyed. Needless to say, I was also very delighted. Now, my heart seems to beat more vigorously, I can sleep better, and even my meals taste more delicious. Iâm becoming more passionate in everything I do.âThe second encouraging news is about my work. I have been planning to come to Avenportâs science academy since I was in Yartran. However, I was depressed for some time because of what happened to Christopher. Two days ago, I went to the interview, and both the science academy and research center simultaneously extended offers for me to join them.ââSimultaneously?â Winnie was genuinely happy for her friend. âYouâre indeed the best. Since you were so interested in the science academy, I assume you chose to join them in the end?ââThatâs right. I rejected the research centerâs offer. I think Iâll have to report for duty at the science academy tomorrow. Then, Iâll be able to resume the research of my topic. Iâm so excited, so I wanted to share this joyous news with you immediately.
Who wouldâve thought something unfortunate like has happened.â Lisanne couldnât help but sigh and cursed in an undertone, âThat d*mn Harold! I hope he gets caught as soon as possible.âThe two agreed to celebrate together after Harold was arrested. After that, Winnie ended the call.As their vacation was called off, Xavier returned to the company after resting for one day at home.He wanted Winnie to tag along to Fairchild Corporation, but she refused him.She contacted the officer in charge of Haroldâs case, David Gibson, to enquire about the latest progress. By right, David wasnât supposed to divulge any details, but since that was a special case, a unique set of handling procedures had to be employed.Still, communicating over the phone was not that convenient, so Winnie decided to make a trip to the police station.She didnât dare to lower her guard. Hence, she left the house in a car equipped with bulletproof windows and brought along two bodyguards.Upon her arrival at the police station, she met up directly with David.David showed her some things.âDidnât you mention Mason took a photo of Haroldâs car plate number previously? After we repaired Masonâs phone, we found these two pictures as expected. The two images showed similar content but were taken from different angles. I ran a check on that car plate number, but it was fake. Harold was also meticulous in how he disguised himself. Not only did he wear a cap, but his face was also covered with bandages. Hence, the surveillance cameras along the way failed to capture his face. Although we donât have proof to verify Harold had undergone plastic surgery, as Mason hypothesized, we canât entirely rule out the possibility.
So, here comes the problem. We donât have the faintest idea of how he modified his facial features. We may still be able to track him down if the alterations were minor. However, if heâs completely changed his appearance, our manhunt will be no different from searching for a needle in a haystack.ââThatâs true!â Winnie frowned. If thatâs the case, weâll have difficulty locating him. Not to mention, all the new faces around me may be the post-plastic surgery Harold!Brows furrowed, she asked David, âWhat about after Mason was attacked? Were photos of Haroldâs car captured anywhere?ââNope. They met up in the mountains. After injuring Mason, Harold abandoned the car. Weâve found the vehicle with the fake car plate number so far. To make things worse, the owner of that car is also missing. The car ownerâs family members had reported him missing to the police. At the moment, we suspect Harold hijacked the vehicle, and the owner is most likely being held hostage. Therefore, weâre putting forth our best effort in our search. If Harold takes the initiative to contact you, please notify us at once.ââOkay.â
Winnie knitted her brows. The situation is becoming graver. That demon, Harold, has started to harm innocents.David was very busy. After informing Winnie of the updates, he swiftly left to carry out his duties.Soon after that, she also took off.She didnât take the same route home and instead changed to a different course. That was also one of her precautionary measures to safeguard herself from Harold.To her surprise, the science academy Lisanne had recently joined was located along that route.Normally, Winnie wasnât interested in the science academy, but because Lisanne was in there, she paid more attention to the building than she usually did.However, as she gazed in the facilityâs direction, she abruptly sat up straight.âTurn the car around!â she instructed the driver instantly because she had noticed a familiar vehicle parked outside the science academy moments ago. Iâve seen that car plate number. Thatâs Officer Clarkâs car. What is he doing here at the science academy?Winnie kept a pair of binoculars in her vehicle.She asked the driver to park the car somewhere less visible. Then, she began observing the scene using her binoculars.From her position, she had a clear view of the science academyâs lobby.Using the pair of binoculars, she saw James, Greta, and Lisanne together.It seemed like Lisanne had played host to James and Greta and was sending them off at that moment.When she saw James and Greta exiting the facility, Winnie hurriedly told the driver to drive the car away.After waiting for some time to ensure James and Greta had left, Winnie dialed Lisanneâs number. âLisanne, why were the police looking for you?â