After an hour’s journey by car, Rachel got out of the car with her luggage at a picturesque hillside.
At the Hill’s Villa.
The luxurious villa in Q City was second to none. They were two of the most modern castles which stood on a beautiful and scenic hillside. The extravagance was breathtaking.
The villas were two hundred meters apart. Robert’s villa was situated to the south while Charles’ was to the North.
The place where Eve met with her untimely death was at the Northern Villa. The reason for her to be here was to look for Eve’s murderer and to clear her mother’s name.
Rachel walked to the large iron door and pressed the bell. A kind middle-aged man greeted her respectfully with a smile, “Good Morning, Ms. Rachel.”
“Good morning, Jay!”
Jay took over her luggage immediately and followed closely behind, “Ms. Rachel, are you back to stay?”
“Yes.” Rachel smiled as she answered. She looked around nostalgically and saw that the garden was as beautiful as a fairyland just like before. Its elegance was not overwhelmed by the opulence. The pathways were lined full of jasmine emitting its rich fragrances.
Suddenly, a familiar military jeep came into sight and took Rachel by surprise and she stopped, “Jay, whose car is that?”
Jay replied happily, “It’s Master Ewan’s, he’s back.”
“Back? What do you mean?” Rachel’s fingers started to tremble slightly and her breathing became labored.
“Ms. Rachel, don’t you know? Next month is Master Ewan’s wedding.”
“Wedding?” Rachel turned quickly to look at Jay. Her heart shattered instantly and was at a loss for words. Her eyes welled up with tears and her throat was dry and her mind went blank.
Jay didn’t notice Rachel’s reaction and maintained his smile, “I saw the three masters come of age. Master Luke is already married and with kids. Master Manson has a fiancee for several years. Master Ewan had been serving the country and people tirelessly. I was so worried that he would forget about setting up a family…”
Rachel asked in a daze and interrupted Jay, “Who will he be marrying?”
“The eldest daughter of the Parkers, Sienna, your good friend. Didn’t she inform you?”
Rachel shifted her gaze onto the car, pursed her lips, smiled, and then said, “No.” A big teardrop rolled down her cheek.
The sun was warm and shone directly onto Rachel but her heart felt cold as ice.
“Ms. Rachel…” Jay was stunned and asked, “Ms. Rachel, why are you crying?”
Rachel came to her senses and immediately wiped away her tears and forced a smile, “I’m not crying. A gust of wind blew something into my eye.”
She was feeling guilty and rubbed her eyes as she walked quickly into the Hill residences.
As she entered the magnificent living room, the luxurious decoration was tasteful and grand. She was very familiar with this house but it had also become distant.
“Ms. Rachel, how do you do?” The servant who opened the door greeted politely.
The servant’s voice interrupted two gentlemen in the living room and both looked in the direction of the door.
Rachel smiled at the servant and changed her shoes upon entering. She raised her head and saw a pair of piercing black eyes whose gaze sent chills down one’s spine.
Ewan’s hands were on the sofa and he was in a laid back but menacing posture. Together with his white shirt and gray military pants, he exuded a threatening but yet dignified composure which made Rachel nervous and uncomfortable.
“Rachel, are you back to stay?”
Rachel snapped back to her senses by the deep voice and smiled at the other man and very politely nodded, “Dad, I’m back to stay for a while.”
The person she spoke to was her stepfather Robert Hill. Normally, Robert was handsome and steadfast. But because of her mother’s incident, he became frail, haggard, and wrinkled just after several days.
Robert said happily, “Ewan is back. You haven’t met for several years, right?”
Rachel smiled awkwardly and nodded politely, “It’s been a long time, Ewan.”
Ewan didn’t reply to Rachel’s greetings. He looked coldly and emotionless at her, making it impossible for others to read him.
As Jay brought the luggage upstairs, Rachel avoided Ewan’s gaze and smiled towards Robert, “Dad, I’ll head to my room to set my things.”
“Leave the chores to the servants. Come over here and have a chat with your father.”
Rachel hesitated for a while before walking over and sat beside Robert. Just as she sat down on the sofa, Ewan stood up immediately, and calmly said, “Don’t prepare my dinner, I have to leave to attend to something.”
Rachel tensed up and her mood took a sudden dive. She lowered her head and didn’t even dare to look at him leave.
“Ewan, your sister just came back, shouldn’t you stay around for a gathering?” Robert shouted.
Ewan didn’t look back and left in long strides.
“This rascal has been arrogant since young. He is lofty and stubborn. I no longer have any control over him…” Robert sighed in remorse.
Rachel fiddled with her fingers and bit gently on her lips and lowered her head in agony.
Ewan walked out of the villa and suddenly stopped. He looked at the sky, pondered for three seconds, and lifted his hand to look at his watch.
His counted, “1, 2, 3, 4, 5 … ” until 15 before he heard a voice saying anxiously, “Ewan, Ewan, just wait a while, I have something to tell you… ”
Ewan lowered his wrist and smirked. With his arms behind his back, he looked in anticipation as Rachel ran over.
Rachel panted as she reached Ewan and said, “Ewan, since you’re here, can you save my mother? Can you see how much pain my father is in? if my mother really killed someone, I won’t let you do anything illegal. But my mother was framed, if you … you don’t help us, that would be disrespecting your oath of service.”
Ewan was indifferent and expressionless. This form of refusal and distant feeling made Rachel extremely uneasy.
He simply looked into her eyes quietly and she looked back at his cold eyes bravely.
Rachel’s eyes were tearing up and quivering so much that anyone who saw it would take pity on her.
But not even a ripple of compassion was shown in his eyes.
Ewan spoke after a while with a cold and deep voice, “You’ll agree to any terms?”
“Yes, as long as you’ll save my mother, I will agree to any terms even if you want me to take the place of my mother in jail.” Rachel said firmly.
“There is no need for that, but remember what you said today,” Ewan said coldly and then walked towards his military jeep.
Rachel suddenly burst out in joy and ran after Ewan like a kid, “Ewan, Ewan, have you agreed to save my mother?”
“Have you agreed?”
“What are the terms?”
Rachel followed him till the car and Ewan opened the front passenger door and ordered coldly, “Get in.”
“Okay.” Rachel didn’t have to ask anymore as it was obvious that he had agreed. She just didn’t know what his terms were and hoped that it wouldn’t be too torturous.
Ewan shut the door after she got in.
Ewan walked around and got into the driver’s seat. He looked at the road ahead and ordered coldly, “Put on your seat belt.”
Rachel was extremely nervous and was fumbling as she quickly buckled the seat belt, “Where are we going?”