Hearing this, Leland Burns squeezed the glowing firefly in his palm until it died.
“Still no news? Could she really be missing?”
Leland Burns thought he could recapture Winifred Dawson quickly after her escape, but unexpectedly, the people he sent lost track of her.
Winifred Dawson appeared to join a tour group, but she switched cars midway and disappeared. No one knew where she went.
The message she left for Mrs. Protich was likely fabricated and unreliable.
“At present, it seems she is indeed missing. We can’t find any clues…” Henry paused, seeing Leland Burns’ displeased expression, and added, “It might take some more time to locate her.”
Leland Burns’ face remained grim. He regretted not implanting a tracker in Winifred Dawson’s skin earlier. Without the tracker, he couldn’t monitor her location as before.
Leland Burns was in a foul mood, and Henry dared not make a sound.
When angry, Leland Burns’ demeanor was even more frightening than before. Henry avoided provoking him at all costs.
“The Burkhart family has been thoroughly dealt with. The remaining stragglers are just a matter of time. Clean them up quickly; they annoy me.”
Both men responded in unison, “Yes.”
Leland Burns asked, “By the way, how is Liam Burkhart lately?”
“The Burkhart family gathered their last forces to send Liam Burkhart abroad.”
“Abroad?”
“Yes.”
Leland Burns sneered and flicked away the crushed remains of the firefly from his fingers. “The sea is so treacherous; one might encounter a tsunami or crash into rocks in the foggy night. If the ship leaks, surviving in the sea would be impossible.”
Henry and Wesley exchanged glances; Wesley understood immediately.
…
Due to Winifred Dawson’s situation, Leland Burns had been suffering from insomnia. His nights were filled with restless dreams, and his brain couldn’t rest. Sometimes he tossed and turned all night with a splitting headache, needing medication or devices to fall asleep.
The medication took a toll on his body and sometimes made him lose control of his emotions. Though he wouldn’t show his feelings outside, alone he was like an enraged beast.
Without warning, he grabbed an ashtray and hurled it at the window. The glass shattered with a loud crash.
…
The next morning, Leland Burns got up before five, long before dawn.
He had been sleeping late and waking early recently, his eyes bloodshot with fatigue.
On the balcony, he smoked a cigarette in the cool morning air. His birthday was two days away.
He had planned to capture Winifred Dawson by then since she had never properly celebrated his birthday with him.
With his plans disrupted, Leland Burns was in a foul mood. After finishing his cigarette, he left the room.
Unexpectedly, Mrs. Protich was already up. She looked like she hadn’t slept all night.
Seeing him, Mrs. Protich’s face showed obvious fear.
It puzzled him-he hadn’t done anything to her yet she seemed terrified of him like a mouse seeing a cat, reminding him of Winifred Dawson.
Mrs. Protich had spent the night in fear and sleeplessness because of him. Seeing him now jolted her awake instantly.
Her throat dry, she tried to speak but couldn’t find the words. Finally, she lowered her head and pretended to be invisible.
She hoped Leland Burns would ignore her existence, but he didn’t intend to do so.
“What breakfast do you usually make for Winifred Dawson? Make me the same today.”
Mrs. Protich was used to being obedient and couldn’t resist even if she wanted to. She nodded and headed to the kitchen.
She had never cooked for Leland Burns before; she mainly cleaned North Bankshire when he occasionally came back and told her not to bother him.
Once she prepared breakfast early in the morning which Leland Burns ignored completely as he made his own meal in the kitchen instead.
After that incident, Mrs. Protich understood that Leland Burns genuinely didn’t want her involved in his meals anymore.
As she kneaded dough for steamed meat buns and prepared porridge for Winifred Dawson’s favorite breakfast, Mrs. Protich reminisced about past events.
She didn’t make plain porridge due to its low nutritional value; instead, she made mixed grain porridge filled with various beans and grains which was nutritious and flavorful-perfect for Winifred Dawson’s sensitive stomach. Alongside buns and porridge, she’d also prepare a refreshing side dish for a balanced breakfast that Winifred Dawson loved.
Two hours later, Mrs. Protich placed breakfast on the table and called out to Leland Burns who was reading in the living room.
“Mr. Burns, breakfast is ready.”
Leland Burns put down his newspaper and walked into the dining room. Seeing the buns on the table, he frowned slightly. “Is this what Winifred Dawson likes for breakfast?”
Mrs. Protich hesitated before nodding slowly. “Yes, Miss Dawson often eats this. She even mentioned in her message that she missed my buns.” She wondered what Winifred Dawson would have for breakfast today since nothing outside matched her homemade quality.
“When did her taste become like this?” Leland Burns muttered as he sat down and tasted the porridge first-it was good but not as good as his own cooking; even the side dish lacked crunchiness.
Finally picking up a large meat bun from the plate, he took a bite-it was flavorful but greasy; his frown deepened further as he doubted if Winifred Dawson could actually enjoy such heavy food for breakfast given her preference for lighter meals.