At the school gate, a fleet of luxury cars was parked. Each one was worth at least hundreds of thousands.
But compared to Chris’s Rolls-Royce, these cars were nothing but junk.
“Hope, study hard and behave at school. Daddy will come pick you up whenever he has time.”
“Okay, Daddy!”
With that, Hope entered the school.
“Hope, is that your dad?”
“Your dad is so handsome! And he’s rich!”
Surrounded by her classmates’ admiring gazes, Hope proudly replied, “Yes, that’s my dad!”
Chris smiled faintly, then drove away.
Tomorrow was the day Esther would visit the Jefferson Family, so she came home early from work.
Seated on the sofa, John Jefferson asked, “Esther, are you going with Chris tomorrow?”
Esther nodded. “Yes, I’ll be going with him.”
John let out a heavy sigh. “The Jefferson Family is the most powerful family in Amerosia. If they hadn’t reached out to us, I would rather not have any contact with them. But with Chris by your side, I feel more at ease.”
He turned to Chris, his expression grave. “Chris, take good care of Esther on this trip. I’ll be honest with you-this family is not simple. They are extremely powerful, so you must be cautious.”
Chris nodded. “Don’t worry, Dad. I’ll take care of her.”
Chris found himself increasingly intrigued by this mysterious family.
The Jefferson Family, hailed as the most powerful in Amerosia-how was it that he had never heard of them before? Could they be hiding some untold secrets?
—
The next morning, bright and early, Chris and Esther arrived at East Coast Airport.
After a two-hour flight, they landed and switched to a bus heading toward a small town called Jefferson Town.
From the name alone, it was clear there was a deep connection between Jefferson Town and the Jefferson Family.
The journey was rough, with winding mountain roads. Esther’s face turned pale as they traveled.
Chris noticed and asked with concern, “Are you okay?”
Esther shook her head and said, “Let’s find a place to stay when we get to town.”
Chris glanced out at the dilapidated streets and couldn’t help but chuckle bitterly. “In a rundown place like this, I wonder if there’s even a hotel.”
It was hard to imagine that the most powerful family in Amerosia resided in such a remote area.
Without Esther leading the way, Chris would’ve thought he’d taken a wrong turn.
The town was small and isolated.
Chris and Esther walked through the entire town but couldn’t find a single hotel.
If there were no accommodations, would they really have to sleep on the streets tonight?
Chris couldn’t help but ask, “Are you sure the Jefferson Family is here?”
Esther replied, “The Jefferson Family is still some distance away from here. I came here once as a child with my grandfather, but I haven’t been back since.”
For Esther, her family’s ties to the Jefferson Family were minimal. If it weren’t for their initiative in contacting her, she wouldn’t have bothered coming.
Just then, a heavily made-up woman approached them and asked, “Are you two looking for a place to stay?”
Chris looked her over and asked, “Do you know where we can find accommodations?”
The woman nodded. “Of course. Just go through that alley, and you’ll find a small inn.”
“Thank you.”
Chris nodded and led Esther into the alley.
As they disappeared from sight, the woman pulled out her phone and made a call.
“Mack, there are two outsiders here… ripe for the taking.”
—
Chris and Esther found the small inn exactly where the woman had said it would be.
The inn was tiny, without even a proper signboard.
But with no other options in town, they had no choice but to stay there unless they wanted to sleep on the streets.
Inside, the innkeeper, a tattooed man, sat at the front desk.
When the man saw Esther, his eyes lit up.
A woman as beautiful as Esther was a rare sight in this town.
Chris said, “We’d like a room for two.”
“Sure. Room 303. One night is a hundred bucks.”
Chris handed over a hundred dollars, and the man gave him a key.
Chris and Esther went upstairs to their room.
Inside, the room was furnished simply, with basic furniture and a single bed.
After they went upstairs, the heavily made-up woman entered the inn.
She looked at the tattooed man and asked, “Mack, what do you think of them?”
The man smirked. “They’re definitely easy targets. That woman is not only beautiful but also dressed in expensive clothes. She’s clearly rich. If we sell her, we’ll get a good price.”
The woman cooed, “Remember our deal. Once it’s done, you owe me five thousand.”
The man chuckled. “Don’t worry. I’ll take care of you.”
If Chris had overheard this conversation, he would’ve known immediately that this inn was a trap.
—
As the sky darkened, the small town was shrouded in complete darkness.
After taking a shower, Esther rubbed her stomach and said, “Honey, I’m hungry. Can you get me something to eat?”
After a long day of traveling by plane and bus, Esther was starving.
Chris sighed helplessly. “In a dump like this, who knows if there’s even food? Wait here, Esther. I’ll go find something for you.”
With that, Chris left the room.
He searched the entire town and finally found a small restaurant.
Chris ordered two simple dishes, had them packed, and returned to the inn.
The town was so remote that there were barely any people around.
When Chris returned to the room, he noticed Esther’s face was flushed red.
He asked, “What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”
“I…”
Esther opened her mouth but couldn’t find the words.
At that moment, Chris suddenly heard noises from the neighboring room.
He understood immediately. In a small inn like this, such things were not unusual.
With the poor soundproofing and the loud noises from next door, it felt like a live broadcast, making it impossible to sleep.