village!”
Chapter 20
ss once again hit the bottom.
‘s glass or
Howard’s
The amber whiskey swirled at the bottom of the glass, reflecting the crimson bloodshot in his eyes. It had been a month, a whole month, and he had hardly slept a wink
“Howard…”
Beatrice stood timidly at the door of the study, her slightly bulging belly,
‘t drink anymore.”
You, you can’t d
Howard didn’t even lift an eyelid, just coldly spat out two words.
“Go out”
Beatrice’s eye sockets turned red in an instant, but she dared not resist, and could only gently close the door. The sound of her sobbing grievance echoed in the corridor, but Howard just felt annoyed.
He grabbed the bottle and poured another glass, the alcohol burning his throat, but unable to extinguish the nameless anger in his heart.
Howard stared numbly at the photo on the wall, the one Victoria had taken when she completed her first mission. She stood next to him with a cold expression on her face, but there was a hint of pride in her eyes that was not easily detectable.
Did she really betray him?
This idea coiled around him like a snake.
The wine glass was refilled, Howard opened the computer, pulled up Wade’s last few days of whereabouts, the person who issued the fake order has not been found yet, but all the clues faintly pointed to Beatrice
“Mr. Irwin.”
Devan knocked on the door and entered, looking serious.
“There was news that Zavier appeared at the western dock.”
Howard’s finger twitched
Zavier was a traitor who was executed by his own hands six months ago, and his body was thrown into the open sea.
“Are you sure?
“Absolutely true.”
Devan handed over the photo.
Someone took this at the seafood market.”
In the photo, Zavier was picking out fish at the fish stall, although wearing a hat, the scar on his profile was clearly visible.
Howard’s voice was hoarse.
“Check.”
“Find out whether it’s a person or a ghost.”
Three days later, the investigation report was placed on his desk
In that seaside fishing village, there was a tradition that anything washed ashore, whether it be a living person or a corpse, would be salvaged onto land.
Save the living, bury the dead.
Howard
stared at the words on the report, and his heart skipped a beat.
If Zavier could be saved…
What about Victoria?
He stood up suddenly, knocking over the wine glass, the alcohol soaking the documents but not obscuring the coordinates of that fishing village. “Call all monitors ”
“All transferred from the fishing village to the urban area.
The scenes on the screen flashed frame by frame, Howard’s eyes were sore and aching, but he refused to blink.
Suddenly, his fingers stopped on a certain picture.
In the bustling market, a woman with a headscarf
i was paying
ing at the fish st
stall.
Although only a side profile was captured, on that slender wrist was wearing a coin bracelet.
That was the amulet he gave to Victoria
Howard suddenly laughed.
Laughter echoed in the empty office, frightening the security guards outside who looked at each other in confusion.
“Get the car ready.”
He grabbed his coat, with a crazed light flickering in his eyes.
“Let’s go to the fishing village now.
When Howard’s convoy arrived at the fishing village, a big
big fire was still
raging
Thick smoke billowed, flames devouring wooden houses, heat waves hitting the face, scorching the skin, villagers‘ cries and splashes of water mixed together, the whole village in chaos.
Howard stood by the car, looking at everything with a cold eye, his brow slightly furrowed.
He could have stood by and watched, what did he have to do with the life and death of these people?
When his eyes swept over the houses engulfed in flames, his heart suddenly tightened.
Was Victoria in there?
“Go help,”
He ordered coldly.
The subordinates were stunned for a moment, but no one dared to resist. They immediately dispersed, some fetching water and some rescuing people. Howard strode towards the fire scene, his black windbreaker lifted by the heat wave, like an unfolded eagle’s wing.
Some villagers recognized him and backed away in fear.
“The evil spirit has returned!!
“Run fast! He’s coming to kill us!”
Screams filled the air as the crowd that had been trying to put out the fire instantly scattered. Howard paid no attention, walking straight towards the most intense part of the fire, kicking open the shaky door.
The heat w wave hit him in the face, and he squinted, searching for that familiar figure in the thick smoke.
No
He came out and rushed into the next
“Mr. Irwin! Danger!”
room.
His subordinates wanted to stop him, but Howard shook them off and spoke in a voice as cold as ice.
“Get lost”
When the fire was dying down, the whole village was in ruins. Howard stood in the center of the rubble, his suit covered in ash, with a few bloodstams on
his palms from horns. The villagers huddled nearby, looking at him in fear, no one dared to approach
He turned around slowly, his gaze sweeping over every terrified face, and finally spoke lightly, “Where is Victoria?
The crowd fell silent
The old chieftain came not living on a cane, his voice trembling-
are you looking for her? She’s already dead
“Where is the body?
“It’s lost in the sea..
“Is that so?”
Howard suddenly raised his hand, the muzzle pressing against the old chieftain’s forehead.
“Then I’ll ask a different question, who saved her?”
The sound of the trigger being pulled made everyone hold their breathe.
Just then, a hoarse voice came from behind the crowd.
“The person you are looking for is not here,”
Elliot stood not far away, supporting his injured grandmother. The firelight reflected on his sharply defined face, and his eyes were as cold as ice.
The muzzle of Howard’s gun slowly moved towards him, a cruel smile curling his lips.
“Then where do you say she is?”
Elliot hadn’t even spoken when a slender figure suddenly rushed out from behind the ruins and stood in front of him.
“Do not hurt Elliot!”
She was a little girl with a face full of ash, her braids crooked and twisted, holding half a baled sweet potato in her hand. Howard’s gun hesitated, suddenly remembering many years ago, Victoria was also like this, clearly trembling with fear, but still standing in front of him.
He slowly put down the gun, crouched down, and spoke surprisingly softly.
“Do you know Vi
Victoria?
The air froze for a few seconds, then suddenly, a thin woman rushed out, holding a charred stick in her hand, shouting hysterically.
“Get out! You murderer! Do you think you haven’t harmed us enough?
Howard squinted his eyes and didn’t know who this woman was.
He sneered and raised his hand to signal his subordinates to step back, while he himself approached her step by step.
“Have you seen her?”
The woman was trembling all over, but she still stared at him fiercely.
“What does it matter? She has a conscience! She saved Marlon, saved Weston, and helped us put out the fire! What about you? Besides killing and setting fices, what else can you do!”
Howard’s breath caught for a moment.
She was still alive.
She was really here.
He suddenly raised the gun, his eyes bloodshot.
“Where on earth is she?”
“I am here, Howard”
“Put the gun down
