Bring Your A Game, Mr

Despite wearing a smile, tears streamed down Alicia's cheeks like a never-ending waterfall.

Unable to stand any more of it, Jamie wrapped his arms around the young woman tightly and promised, "No, you're not filthy. You just need medical attention. Let's leave this place. I'll take you to the doctor. No one can hurt you anymore. Trust me..."

***

It was inevitable that they had to build a good relationship with the local forces when they were new in town. While Alexander went out for social engagements that night, Narissa, who didn't want to go home only to argue with her father, slept over at Elise's. "No wonder I felt different about you back when I first saw you. Who'd have thought you're my beloved Elise and not some Anastasia White," lamented Narissa as she shared a bed with her best friend again after so many years. "Given the circumstances back then, it was all I could do. Even the kids just found out not long ago," said Elise as she tucked her friend in.

The topic of men would inevitably come up whenever girls came together.

"Are you honestly going to give up on Jamie?" Elise asked.

Narissa wasn't getting any younger. She'd really be held up if she squandered her time away.

"What else can I do other than give up?" Narissa lay flat on her back in bed and stared at the ceiling, looking like she had given up fighting. "We're walking further away from each other now. That girl, Alicia Heidelberg, is special to him."

"But Jamie still cares the world about you. You still have a fighting chance." Elise was no longer prudent about her words now that she had revealed her true identity to Narissa.

"He jumped into the sea to save Paul without any safety measures for you and even called out your name when he was totally hammered. I've never seen him like that before."

"Yeah, right. He's nothing but a blockhead. As if he'd do anything like that." As doubtful as Narissa sounded, she secretly hoped it was true.

"Let me show you something." Elise decided to give up her beauty sleep and got out of bed to fish for her phone.

After retrieving a clip from the album app, she showed it to Narissa.

Very quickly, Jamie's heartfelt confession came from the phone.

"It's not that I don't like you. I'm just worried I'll die too soon and make you a widow... Then I realized I was wrong. I shouldn't keep forcing you just because I think I'll die, but instead, be brave and tell you how I feel, then fight to live till the next day for you..." Narissa's expression shifted one after another, looking exceptionally torn as she glued her eyes to the screen.

On the other hand, Elise breathed a sigh of relief, seeing that Narissa was stirred.

The clip was a gift from Irvin to Elise after receiving his old man's six months allowance. It was now put to good use.

Jamie, my dear, you can't say I haven 't helped you this time, alright?

Just then, a rock with a note attached broke through the window.

"Who goes there?!" Narissa chucked the phone aside and jumped out of the window to catch the culprit.

Meanwhile, Elise picked the rock up and checked the note out. What was written was the same as last time, 'Get out of here!

She took the note down and went to the next room to check on the kids. Fortunately, they were fine. Danny wasn't in his room, who knew just where he had gone to-and Paul was dead asleep. It seemed that nothing in this world would make the young master keep an eye open even in his sleep.

Elise grew restless after waiting for a while upstairs, so she went straight down to find Alexander entering while grabbing a man by the collar when she arrived in the living room.

Narissa, too, had returned, following behind the two.

The man's limbs were tied up. Hence, he dropped to his knees at once after Alexander kicked him in the back of his knee.

Meanwhile, Elise approached him and sized him up.

He had long legs, broad shoulders, and a chiseled face. From the side, he looked manly while his front profile gave him a benign sense, looking crisp and young. Contrastingly, he had a ripped body, the epitome of a hunk. Of all the men Elise had seen in her life, only her beloved husband was a worthy contender.

This is the coward who threw rocks into the house but never dared to show himself?!

Elise had to admit that she never expected a good-looking coward. After all, a person's character would really reflect on their face sometimes.

No one would see a handsome man at first glance and think, 'I bet he's evil'.

On the other hand, Alexander went up to Elise and stood in front of her, blocking most of her view when he saw his beloved wife staring at the man.

"I let the word out that I have an engagement tonight. So, you returned when you were convinced that I wasn't home. Too bad for you; I did it to lure you out. Now tell me, who sent you?"

The man shifted his head to the side, not intending to answer at all.

"He'll speak up after starving for a few days in the basement," Elise suggested, leading the man to look over with a side-eyed glance.

"You're a pretty wicked wench."

Surprisingly, he had a pretty magnetic voice.

"Well, I'm flattered." Elise smiled. "How about I give you a coupon to live in my basement for a few days as a thank you for giving my daughter a good scare last time?"

A woman would really become vengeful after becoming a mother. No one who had harmed their child would be given mercy easily. At that, Alexander picked the man up and dragged him down the basement.

After giving the police the fright of their lives, Paul moved upstairs, leaving the basement vacant.

Soon, peace returned to Griffith Manor after the minor episode was settled. Since Alexander had returned, Narissa could only sleep in one of the guest rooms. That said, she tossed and turned the whole night, having trouble falling asleep as Jamie's drunken state filled her entire mind.

Before anyone knew it, the sun had risen, and after breakfast, the Griffith couple headed to the basement to question the man.

Narissa followed after them, and so did Paul. But lo and behold, the rope had been undone, and the man was nowhere in sight.

"There's only one way to come in and out of the basement, and the door isn't busted. So how did he disappear just like that?!" Paul exclaimed with shock.

Alexander and Elise, on the other hand, exchanged a glance, then played dumb.

"Looks like he got away. We should talk about our next plan of action," said the couple as they headed back upstairs.

Paul, too, followed the couple as he thought there wasn't anything interesting down here. Only Narissa stayed and checked every nook and cranny as she thought it was strange.

Alexander installed surveillance cameras all around the manor after the man chucked the stone the first time. Not only that, but he had also arranged for a few dozen bodyguards to be stationed within a hundred yards radius. They would even know if a rat had passed by. There was no way that the bodyguards remain silent if the man really got away. Hence, she was certain he was still in the basement somewhere.

Sure enough, she found a hidden compartment when she knocked the floor in the corner. She gave it a shove, and a dull shifting noise came from the pillar aside.

A secret door slowly opened, revealing the man from the night before.

"Found you!" Narissa grinned triumphantly.

To that, the man beamed. "Or perhaps I've lured you to find me?"

Right as Narissa wanted to retort, she realized her neck suddenly stiffened, and even her limbs became unresponsive. It was evident that the man had to do with it. "What have you done to me?!"

"Relax, it's just a bit of a drug to numb your senses. It won't kill you. Adios!" The man waved his hand and turned to his side.

But just as he was about to bypass Narissa and leave the room, he slipped from stepping on a log and accidentally ripped Narissa's top.