Chapter 382
Chapter 382:
Janice was caught off guard, and she found herself frantically averting her eyes.
It didn’t escape Aiden’s notice, of course, but he chose not to pursue the matter. He shifted gears and continued driving.
They cruised smoothly down the streets as silence settled inside the car. Janice took a surreptitious glance at Aiden’s handsome profile and smiled unconsciously.
Soon enough, they arrived at the residential area at Mount Cloudridge.
It was an upscale neighborhood, and the villas were surrounded by lush greenery and the constant, soothing sound of nature. It was indeed the perfect place to retire.
“Thanks, Aiden.” Janice got out of the car and turned away to enter her villa.
“Aren’t you going to invite me in for a drink?”
“No!” Janice raised her hand and blew an exasperated sigh. “Please don’t use these dated pickup lines on me, I beg you. Also, I think I need to remind you that your mother is returning to the country today. She should be home by now.”
Aiden’s eyes widened, as if he had just realized the impending trouble on his horizon.
“So you might want to spend the next couple of hours or so thinking of a way to appease your mother,” Janice suggested.
Aiden looked at her, who had a smug grin on her face, and was torn between frustration and resignation.
She was the root of all this trouble, yet she was leaving him to deal with the fallout. At least in this sense, she really was a bad woman.
“Mark my words, Janice. One day, you’ll be her daughter-in-law again.” With that, Aiden jumped back in his car and sped away.
He understood the principle of not rushing things well enough. When it came to stubborn, independent women like Janice, an avant-garde approach would only make her more evasive.
No matter. They had plenty of time ahead of them.
Janice stood at the edge of the driveway, her gaze fixed on the fading taillights of Aiden’s car. A small smile tugged at her lips.
M𝑜𝓇𝑒 𝓊𝓅𝒹𝒶𝓉𝑒𝓈 𝒾𝓃 𝑔𝒶𝓁𝓃𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁𝓈.𝒸𝑜𝓂
She pulled out her phone and dialed Prescott. “I need a deep dive on the White family in Cloverhill. Leave no detail uncovered.”
Without waiting for a reply, Janice ended the call and headed towards her villa.
Meanwhile, Leah had managed to steady herself, but the pallor of her face betrayed the deep scars left by Leonidas. His very name, even after all these years, was enough to pull her into a vortex of dread.
“What did Janice want from you?” she asked.
Prescott, adjusting his glasses, hesitated for a moment, his expression puzzled. “She wants me to investigate the White family in Cloverhill. Thoroughly, no stone left unturned.”
“The White family in Cloverhill?” Leah echoed, her tone filled with confusion. “Weren’t they wiped out years ago? Why would Janice suddenly care about them now?”
“I don’t know. Janice’s mind works in ways we can’t always understand.”
Leah gave a nod. It was true; Janice’s intelligence was unmatched, and her plans were always calculated. Questioning her motives felt like trying to solve a puzzle without all the pieces.
Suddenly, the ear-piercing sound of brakes brought them both forward in their seats, their bodies jerking violently against the restraints.
“Costello, what the hell are you doing?” Leah demanded, his irritation flaring.
“There’s someone in the road,” Costello replied, his voice low and tense.
Leah and Prescott exchanged uneasy glances before looking ahead.
Bathed in the car’s headlights was a figure standing eerily still. Leah’s breath caught in her throat as her eyes locked on the man. Her body began to tremble, a wave of fear crashing over her.
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