CHAPTER 399: CHAPTER 399: THE CONTRACT BETWEEN US

Anna Thornton received the news that Lola and Pop were kidnapped!

That’s right, it was the kidnappers themselves who sent it to her.

In fact, she was driving to pick up the kids from kindergarten at the time. Generally speaking, if she hadn’t discovered it herself, the kindergarten teacher would have called to tell her the kids were missing.

Because kidnappers also need a process to carry out the kidnapping.

They usually wait at least twelve hours after taking action to hide the hostages before negotiating the ransom and then informing the victim’s family.

It’s rare to see someone who immediately texts bad news right after taking action, which shows how arrogant they are.

So even if the other party deliberately hid the number information, Anna Thornton already guessed who it was.

Ugh!

She didn’t expect that even after returning to the country, she still couldn’t avoid that... plague bringer.

Following the address provided in the message—

Anna Thornton drove all the way, leaving Aethelgard, and arrived at a mountainous area at the border with a neighboring province.

After driving up the mountain road, she finally parked her car at the top.

The mountain road here wasn’t developed for convenience, winding and rugged. By the time Anna Thornton made it to the top, she was already quite irritable.

Especially when she saw the only mansion on the top, facing the lush green mountains and water, backed by sheer cliffs. Only a madman would build a house here.

Just bringing building materials here from the city must have taken so long.

What a waste of social resources!!

After parking the car, Anna Thornton immediately walked forward.

The gate of the mansion was not closed. More accurately, it was covered by clusters of ivy. A large lock hung on the door, already weathered and peeling from repeated weather and rain on the mountain top, probably impossible to close even if they tried.

Anna Thornton had just stepped inside when suddenly a man dressed in black bowd to her.

Startled, Anna almost jumped on the spot. Upon closer inspection, it was a Y national butler in a black suit with white curly hair.

In a proper London accent, gentlemanly yet expressionless, he asked if she needed help!

"I don’t need help, just don’t scare me by keeping silent!" Anna touched her nose.

It was all Conrad Sterling’s fault, causing her to have a stress reaction whenever she saw people in black suits now.

If it weren’t for that conspicuous white hair, Anna feared she couldn’t help but use a self-defense move.

This gentlemanly butler merely nodded at her words and slightly bowed to show Anna the way forward.

Building a house this far away on a barren mountain was already bizarre enough, but what’s even more bizarre is why they planted these human-height grasses in the yard.

The entire path was blocked, and Anna Thornton had to bend low and squeeze through under the grass.

The inside of the house looked like those old, unused courtyards in period dramas. Hang a couple of red lanterns at the door at night, and it could be a ghost movie set.

What made her scalp tingle more was when Anna Thornton thought about where to hang the red lanterns, she glanced back, only to find the butler who had guided her was long gone.

Anna poked through the grass overhead and looked around. The mixture of ancient Chinese and European old buildings made her dizzy.

Although nothing was visible, Anna Thornton knew there were a pair of eyes watching her covertly from above.

"What the hell... is this place?" Anna couldn’t help but put her hands on her hips and shout, "Bobby! Get out here!"

Shortly after her shout, there really were footsteps approaching Anna Thornton.

Rustling sounds came from the grass, as if something huge was moving through the leaves, approaching Anna’s back.

Suddenly, a bear-like hand landed on her shoulder, patting her gently.

Anna turned her head to see a man over two meters tall with dark skin.

Who else could this be but the black man who took Lola and Pop from the kindergarten entrance?

Anna’s initial tension relaxed upon confirming Bobby’s face.

But it wasn’t like greeting an old friend with total ease.

Instead, it was more like confirmation of her suspicions, a slight sigh of resignation, "It really is you!"

Bobby’s extremely dark and large face relaxed subconsciously, producing a hint of flattery in both look and tone: "Miss Thornton, you’ve finally arrived! The boss has been waiting a long time!"

"Wow, even using phrases like ’waiting a long time,’ your Chinese has improved a lot recently!"

Anna casually praised him, and Bobby seemed bashful, scratching his head: "That’s because the boss heard Miss Thornton accepted a role in a period drama, and suddenly got interested in Cathayan ancient history, so I’ve been taking a lot of lessons with the boss during this time."

Upon hearing this, Anna squinted slightly: "He knows everything about what I’ve been doing since returning to the country?"

"The boss is concerned about Miss Thornton."

Bobby’s explanation made Anna’s expression match her inner feelings, expressing one word through actions, "Tch~"

I don’t believe you for a moment!

Does that lunatic Smith even understand what caring means?

He’s gathering information on Anna Thornton, but it’s just to satisfy his twisted, obsessive need for control.

Just like Bobby during Scrapper’s execution, a stone-faced killer.

Yet in front of Anna, he nods respectfully, scared of upsetting her, only because she’s the boss’s... pet!

Yes, even though he cares a lot, it’s just a ’pet’!

That’s why Anna rushed over, not knowing what might have happened after Smith abducted Pop and Lola.

With Bobby leading the way, Anna makes her way through the labyrinth-like courtyard and finally enters the house.

The house looks like an old building from the outside, but inside, it’s opulent and grand!

In the hall, a man with broad shoulders and a narrow waist holds a telescope, looking down at the path Anna just took outside the window.

"Tsk~ still so impatient!" The man’s voice is magnetic and pleasant.

Though he clearly doesn’t have Cathayan heritage, his national language speaks fluently and precisely.

Plus, he’s dressed in a retro Tang suit, standing straight, with a fearsome cliff backdrop visible through the floor-to-ceiling window on the right, giving him an aura of an enigmatic hermit.

However, an odd contrast is the rooster-like red hair, and perched on his neck is a round, chubby, exquisitely cute little girl.

Pop is wearing a milky white bubble skirt, like a soft, white dumpling, gripping a bamboo stick while chomping loudly on an oversized candy figure.

She took too big a bite out of greed, leaving a messy circle of sugar residue around her little mouth and dropping bits onto Smith’s flaming red hair.

Pop tries to pick them up and put them back in her mouth but can’t with the stickiness.

The little girl gives up and continues gnawing on the sugar figure!

As for the other kid, Lola, after being brought here, he first cautiously observed that he and his sister were temporarily safe, and now he’s battling the advanced code lock on the hall door!

Suddenly, a click is heard, and the lock opens!

Lola, who was still calculating the decryption equation, looks up to see Anna.

"Lola, are you and Pop okay?" Anna is concerned about the kids.

But as she follows Lola’s pointing direction and sees Pop, who is casually swinging her chubby little legs while eating candy perched on Smith’s head, Anna says exasperatedly, "Pop, get down now!"

Smith plays with Pop quite amiably, but Anna insists on fetching the little fellow down from his shoulder.

Because coming closer, Anna sees many candy fragments stuck on Smith’s bright red fluffy head.

Some people might not have burst out in anger yet, likely because they misunderstand the craftsmanship of Cathayan elders.

Anna guesses that when Smith goes home to wash his hair and finds he can’t get it out, he’ll be absolutely furious, wanting to kill.

Pop gets carried over by her mommy, her chubby hands pointing at the red-haired man and calling out: "God-daddy!"

"I’m Pop’s godfather, still worried about what I’ll do to her?"

The red-haired man narrows his eyes, seemingly displeased by Anna’s instinctive display of panic and fear when she entered.

Can she not be fearful?

Pop is still little, but Anna is well aware of how erratic and ruthless Smith can be.

It’s said Scrapper died, reported by the police this morning.

The key fatal wound was a shot to the temple, but the autopsy revealed all his organs were missing.

The police are now desperately searching for the missing organs, suspecting it’s linked to international organ trafficking.

What use are organs removed after death?

From Anna’s understanding of Smith’s perverse tendencies, she suspects they might be inside this building.

Better not provoke him!

So when Anna picks up the two kids, she’s ready to ’get out of here.’

But just then, the electronic lock mercilessly seals shut once again.

Although Smith is seen as a freak in Anna’s view, he is still keen on conversation, and with a smile laced with threat and pressure, he asks her, "Sweetheart, haven’t seen me for ages, miss me?"

Miss you? What nonsense!

Anna’s scalp tingles as she coughs dryly: "Can you watch your words?"

Upon hearing this, Smith grows more malevolent.

Openly in front of both kids, he speaks words that make Anna’s face stiffen: "Our contract seems not finished yet, little pet!"