In the Herbert family’s villa…
At this hour, the entire Herbert family was fast asleep. The vast yard was bathed in dim lighting, enveloped in a serene stillness. Every so often, a gentle rustle of leaves could be heard dancing in the wind.
Boyce approached Matthew, gently restraining him, fearful that he would act impulsively. “Even if we’re here, finding Dolores won’t be easy,” he said.
“So, you expect me to wait? The longer we wait, the more dire the situation becomes for her,” Matthew retorted, his pupils filled with bloodshot red, emitting a bloodthirsty glow.
Maria had previously attempted to harm Dolores through an accident. If Maria had managed to capture her this time, Matthew didn’t even want to fathom the consequences. All he could do now was compel the Herbert family to hand over Maria.
Boyce was taken aback. He slowly released his grip on Matthew, observing the panic etched on his face. He whispered, “Isn’t that what friends are for? Leave this arduous task to me.”
Just as he finished speaking, Boyce forcefully kicked the gate, causing a resounding “bang.”
The commotion immediately stirred the surrounding creatures.
Landon was fast asleep, abruptly awakened by the loud noise. Camilla got up and switched on the bedside lamp. “What was that sound?”
Landon remained motionless, half-closing his eyes, appearing rather groggy. Irritated at being disturbed by the loud bang, he mumbled, “Must be thunder.”
Having said his piece, he promptly went back to sleep.
Camilla wasn’t convinced. It had been sunny during the day, so how could there be a thunderstorm at night?
“Don’t worry about it. Let’s go back to sleep. I doubt someone is trying to break in,” Camilla reassured herself, in agreement with Landon’s explanation. It was midnight, and it was highly unlikely that anyone would be foolish enough to attempt a break-in.
Thanks to modern technology, the fireproof and burglar-proof system was highly advanced.
Camilla switched off the lamp and settled back into bed, snuggling against Landon as she drifted off to sleep.
“Are they a family of sloths?” Boyce muttered to himself before delivering an even heavier kick to the gate.
“Bang!”
Even the birds were startled, taking flight in a flurry.
Boyce was skilled in martial arts.
He possessed considerable strength.
“It’s definitely not thunder,” Camilla heard it clearly this time. She got out of bed and switched on the bedside lamp once more. “That sound seemed to come from the gate.”
Landon also got up, the quilt slipping down to his waist. “Who could possibly be out and about in the middle of the night?”
“Let me go check it out.” Camilla stood up and made her way downstairs. Warner had already awakened, and upon seeing Camilla, he inquired, “Did you also hear that loud noise at the gate?”
Camilla nodded.
“Go back to bed, please. I’ll go take a look,” Warner said as he donned a jacket. Opening the front door, he stepped outside. The yard was dimly lit, with faint figures visible. He quickened his pace.
Approaching the gate, he unlatched the security lock and swung it open. Before he could identify who was standing there, he unexpectedly received a kick. Despite stumbling a few steps back and landing on his rear, he managed to regain his balance.
Boyce had intended to kick the gate once again, but to his surprise, it swung open before him.
Consequently, his kick landed on Warner’s body.
Clutching his stomach, Warner seethed with anger. It wasn’t pleasant to be kicked so suddenly.
“Who are you? Are you trying to get yourself killed? Do you even realize where you are? How dare you cause trouble here?” Warner fumed, covering his abdomen, while sizing up the two figures silhouetted against the light.
Boyce emerged from the shadows.
Warner recognized his face, his brows furrowing. “What in the world are you doing here?” he squinted. “Do you think you can barge into my house and bully me just because you’re a police officer? You’re breaking the law. Deliberately breaking the law. Do you want to lose your job?”
Boyce sneered. “I’m simply upholding the law impartially.”
Warner was aware of Boyce’s identity, and upon hearing his words, he grew uneasy, wondering what Boyce meant.
Boyce was no ordinary person. He could adapt swiftly to any situation. Pulling out his cellphone, he played a video clip in front of Warner. “This is your sister, isn’t it?”
Warner glanced at the figure in the video wearing a mask. Although the face was obscured, the figure and the eyes did resemble Maria.
“Are you joking?” Warner refused to admit it outright. “That person is wearing a mask. How can I know if it’s my sister or not? I could just as easily claim that it’s your sister. Don’t recklessly slander others!”
Anticipating Warner’s denial after watching the video clip, Boyce maintained an official tone. “Your sister went to visit a woman named Beulah Shawn in jail, and that woman is now dead. We suspect your sister is responsible. We need to bring her in for questioning. Please summon your sister.”
“Boyce Shawn, stop playing tricks. You obtained a video clip, and now you want to slander others, don’t you?” Warner refused to acknowledge that the person in the clip was Maria.
“If it’s not her, then bring your sister out to confront us,” Boyce persisted, undeterred.
“Everyone is asleep now. You’re disturbing our peace,” Warner replied calmly, though inwardly he grew more anxious at Boyce’s words.
He couldn’t help but wonder what Maria had done this time.
“What now? Should I make a scene and announce to everyone that another murder has occurred in the Herbert family?”
It was undoubtedly a threat.
The Herbert family held their dignity and reputation in high regard. The wounds from Sampson’s incident hadn’t yet healed, and if another murder were to be linked to their family, it would spell disaster.
“Wait here,” Warner said, turning around and heading back into the house.
Due to the commotion at the gate, Landon had already come downstairs.
“What’s happening?” Landon asked with a stern expression.
“Summon Maria Herbert to come downstairs!” Warner barked at a bewildered servant, his anger escalating.
“She’s always causing trouble, isn’t she?”
“What has she done this time?” Landon narrowed his eyes, gripping the handrail of the stairs tightly.
“Boyce Shawn said she was involved in a murder.”
“What?” Landon’s body trembled. His anger surpassed even Warner’s. He pounded on the handrail with force, feeling his palm go numb. “What a despicable woman!”
He regretted ever acknowledging her as his sister.
The servant woke Maria up. Still in her pajamas, she looked at the irritated faces of Warner and Landon and asked, “What’s going on?”
“Are you asking me?” Warner sneered. “They’re outside. Go and explain yourself.”
Maria remained unusually calm. “I’ll go. And Warner, calm down. Why are you so furious?”
“Enough!” Landon yelled at her in anger. “It’s better if you stay out of this. If you cause trouble again, I’ll break your legs.”
“You wish to beat me to death, don’t you?” Maria sneered, turning around and walking towards the gate.
It was evident that she had no respect for her father.
“Dad, look at her attitude!” Warner blushed with anger.
“Aren’t I angry enough?” Landon panted. “If I had known she would always cause trouble, I would have strangled her when she was born. Actually, I wouldn’t have let her be born at all.”
Hearing Landon’s hurtful words, Maria pursed her lips.
She had long been disappointed in them, but their words still stung.
Indeed, for these wealthy families, their interests were always paramount.
Family affection? Flesh and blood? All meaningless!
The night was dark.
Maria approached the gate, observing the two men standing there. Although they were backlit, she recognized Matthew standing in the shadows.
She couldn’t discern his expression clearly; his face was blurred.
She speculated that he must have learned about Dolores’ disappearance and had come to question her, disregarding his public image and the late hour.
Was his affection for that woman so profound?
Suddenly, Maria burst into laughter.
Boyce frowned. “What’s so funny?”