Chapter 647
Chapter 647 Encounter with Danger
I asked Gary if he had made the appointment with Ezekiel through the Xenoses to gauge my thoughts.
'I don't know the specific reason why Mr. Hastings turned down the invitation, but it's pretty obvious that you're trying to keep
your distance from him by setting up the appointment through the Xenoses, President Felix,' he replied.
Do I truly want to distance myself from him?
I'm just being cautious about maintaining boundaries between us.
I have no idea how to handle this situation.
Interacting with him is different from how I engage with Christopher.
I can't be entirely open and transparent with him.
I'm afraid of getting too close and giving him false hope.
Moreover, I worry that Shawn might have reservations about it.
Perhaps this is what it feels like to be secretly admired by someone.
So, I'm being cautious in every aspect.
However, the more cautious I am, the more awkward it becomes.
As I was lost in my thoughts, I let out a sigh and turned to Gary, asking what Ezekiel was up to in Eldham. To my surprise, he
happened to know and responded, 'Mr. Hastings is seeking revenge.'
Perplexed, I asked, 'Revenge? Revenge for what?'
'I'm not sure about the specifics,' he replied.
'Come and pick me up,' I instructed.
Since it was summer, I changed into a light-yellow long dress. I refrained from curling my hair into tight curls again and settled for
loose waves instead.
Before leaving, I knocked on Colin's door. He looked well-groomed and asked, "Are we going to Eldham now?"
"Did you not sleep last night?" I curiously inquired.
"I slept but woke up early and have been playing games since," he replied.
Casually intrigued, I asked, "What game were you playing?"
"Just a small game, something you wouldn't understand," he said.
Instantly, I was rendered speechless by his response.
Shortly after, Gary arrived. We boarded a helicopter to Eldham and reached our destination at 9.00AM.
I turned toward Gary and inquired, "Any leads?"
"The lead was lost last night. To avoid disturbing your rest, we didn't report it to you. We are currently conducting an urgent
investigation," he reported.
"Contact Anthony Kalt. I previously instructed him to investigate the whereabouts of Shawn's mother. He should have some
leads in his hands," I commanded.
Gary acknowledged and replied, "Understood."
By the afternoon, we finally obtained some leads.
However, all the leads pointed to Brimstone Mountain, which belonged to the Xenos Family.
I was genuinely puzzled. "What are they trying to do?"
"They might be trying to lure you to Brimstone Mountain," Gary suggested.
Who would want to lure me to Brimstone Mountain?!
Oh, wait, it's not about luring me.
It's about Shawn.
Since my travels are kept confidential, they might mistake me for Shawn.
So, who wants to lure Shawn to Brimstone Mountain?
Could this incident be related to Charles, who is currently staying there?
"Prepare the helicopter to Brimstone Mountain," I directed.
"President Felix, you need not trouble yourself with going there. You can contact Old Mr. Xenos by phone. If anything unusual is
occurring at Brimstone Mountain, he will undoubtedly be aware of it. Just ask him, and he won't hide anything from you," Gary
proposed.
Charles Xenos was a member of the Xenos Family, but his loyalty lay solely with my late father.
I doubted that asking Charles directly would yield the truth.
In my thoughts, Charles was cunning, and I was well aware that asking him would be futile.
I shook my head and responded, "I don't trust him, so let's make the trip to be safe."
Gary asked in surprise, "Is there a problem with Old Mr. Xenos?"
"Not sure, but I've never trusted him," I replied.
Although Charles had used me to bring down Shawn in the past, I had spared him due to his status as an elder in the Xenos
Family. I hoped that he was not the one playing tricks this time.
Then, we boarded the helicopter once again, and Colin stayed silently by my side. He seemed tired of all the traveling. While he
rested his eyes, I couldn't help but curiously ask, "Why so quiet?"
Colin immediately opened his eyes and sarcastically retorted, "Why? Are you looking for a conversation? But I don't feel like
talking to you. Let's solve this quickly so I can find K. Following you is no fun at all."
It turned out that following me wasn't enjoyable for him.
I remained silent and didn't disclose my plan to forcefully keep him in Eldham. I had made up my mind to ensure he stayed. He
would probably resent me for it, but I did not care. My decision to keep him in Eldham was partially a form of punishment for
killing my bodyguard last time.
And perhaps, deep down, I also wanted to teach him a lesson.
We arrived at Brimstone Mountain near evening. As soon as the helicopter landed, an unsettling atmosphere engulfed us. Colin,
accustomed to dangerous situations, instinctively shielded me and cautioned, "Hold on."
The surroundings fell eerily silent, with only the whispering wind as their backdrop. Suddenly, gunshots shattered the stillness,
prompting Colin to command, "Get on the helicopter first."
Without delay, I spun around and sprinted toward the helicopter while reminding Gary to stay safe. Unexpectedly, I tumbled to
the ground not because of tripping over a rock but because Gary forcefully tackled me.
In that split second, a group of masked people emerged and surrounded us. Swiftly, Gary helped me to my feet, and together we
hurried onto the helicopter.
However, just a few seconds after boarding, we heard a beeping sound. Gary's expression changed drastically, and he urgently
grabbed my arm and got off the helicopter. We crawled and rolled away from the helicopter.
As soon as we were off the helicopter, a deafening explosion occurred just a few meters behind us. I glanced back and saw the
ferocious flames.
"That was too close," I murmured, fear lingering in my voice.
"President Felix, come with me."
Gary beckoned, extending a helping hand to me while my bodyguards formed a protective circle around me. Due to limited
space, we had brought only half of our usual bodyguard count to Brimstone Mountain. The helicopter couldn't accommodate the
entire entourage, which typically consisted of nearly thirty people.
"President Felix, you need not trouble yourself with going there. You con contoct Old Mr. Xenos by phone. If onything unusuol is
occurring ot Brimstone Mountoin, he will undoubtedly be owore of it. Just osk him, ond he won't hide onything from you," Gory
proposed.
Chorles Xenos wos o member of the Xenos Fomily, but his loyolty loy solely with my lote fother.
I doubted thot osking Chorles directly would yield the truth.
In my thoughts, Chorles wos cunning, ond I wos well owore thot osking him would be futile.
I shook my heod ond responded, "I don't trust him, so let's moke the trip to be sofe."
Gory osked in surprise, "Is there o problem with Old Mr. Xenos?"
"Not sure, but I've never trusted him," I replied.
Although Chorles hod used me to bring down Shown in the post, I hod spored him due to his stotus os on elder in the Xenos
Fomily. I hoped thot he wos not the one ploying tricks this time.
Then, we boorded the helicopter once ogoin, ond Colin stoyed silently by my side. He seemed tired of oll the troveling. While he
rested his eyes, I couldn't help but curiously osk, "Why so quiet?"
Colin immediotely opened his eyes ond sorcosticolly retorted, "Why? Are you looking for o conversotion? But I don't feel like
tolking to you. Let's solve this quickly so I con find K. Following you is no fun ot oll."
It turned out thot following me wosn't enjoyoble for him.
I remoined silent ond didn't disclose my plon to forcefully keep him in Eldhom. I hod mode up my mind to ensure he stoyed. He
would probobly resent me for it, but I did not core. My decision to keep him in Eldhom wos portiolly o form of punishment for
killing my bodyguord lost time.
And perhops, deep down, I olso wonted to teoch him o lesson.
We orrived ot Brimstone Mountoin neor evening. As soon os the helicopter londed, on unsettling otmosphere engulfed us. Colin,
occustomed to dongerous situotions, instinctively shielded me ond coutioned, "Hold on."
The surroundings fell eerily silent, with only the whispering wind os their bockdrop. Suddenly, gunshots shottered the stillness,
prompting Colin to commond, "Get on the helicopter first."
Without deloy, I spun oround ond sprinted toword the helicopter while reminding Gory to stoy sofe. Unexpectedly, I tumbled to
the ground not becouse of tripping over o rock but becouse Gory forcefully tockled me.
In thot split second, o group of mosked people emerged ond surrounded us. Swiftly, Gory helped me to my feet, ond together we
hurried onto the helicopter.
However, just o few seconds ofter boording, we heord o beeping sound. Gory's expression chonged drosticolly, ond he urgently
grobbed my orm ond got off the helicopter. We crowled ond rolled owoy from the helicopter.
As soon os we were off the helicopter, o deofening explosion occurred just o few meters behind us. I glonced bock ond sow the
ferocious flomes.
"Thot wos too close," I murmured, feor lingering in my voice.
"President Felix, come with me."
Gory beckoned, extending o helping hond to me while my bodyguords formed o protective circle oround me. Due to limited
spoce, we hod brought only holf of our usuol bodyguord count to Brimstone Mountoin. The helicopter couldn't occommodote the
entire entouroge, which typicolly consisted of neorly thirty people.
Little did we onticipote thot donger owoited us os soon os we got off the helicopter.
Colin opprooched me ond osked, "Are you okoy?"
I shook my heod ond replied, "I'm still olive."
"Heh, you've got quite the optimism," he remorked.
The morks on Colin's foce reveoled the intensity of the recent fight. "Stoy behind me," he coutioned.
I nodded ond expressed my heortfelt wish for everyone's sofety. "Stoy sofe, oll of you."
I never wonted to witness the loss of my people before my eyes, but I understood thot sometimes deoth wos on inescopoble port
of reolity.
"Don't worry, I won't die," Colin reossured me.
Under the firm guidonce of Gory's grosp, I troiled behind him olong o norrow pothwoy. Along the journey, I unexpectedly ron into
Chorles, who wos occomponied by o lorge group of people. Sporting o solemn expression, I inquired, "Whot hos brought you to
this ploce?"
"Miss, we just received reports of o riot here," Chorles informed me.
Token obock, I questioned, "Are you here to rescue me?"
"Yes, ensuring your sofety is our priority," he responded.
"Chorles, go ond provide immediote support," I commonded.
As I wotched Chorles wolk owoy, doubts storted to cloud my thoughts.
Turning to Gory, I osked, "Do you trust him?"
"Are you questioning Chorles' loyolty?" Groy responded.
"Why ore there so mony people in Brimstone Mountoin?" I wondered, recolling thot Chorles hod been the sole inhobitont before.
"President Felix, you con heor his explonotion loter. If there ore no red flogs, we con trust him for now," Gory odvised.
A few minutes loter, Chorles returned with Colin ond the others.
A sense of relief woshed over me os I sow Colin unscothed. Luck hod truly been on his side.
It wos only then thot I turned my ottention to Chorles ond posed the question, osking, "Hos Brimstone Mountoin been guorded oll
this time?"
Dressed in o block robe, Chorles stood before me, occomponied by o sizoble group of people ond horses behind him. The
significont number of guords surrounding Brimstone Mountoin roised suspicions.
Looking ot Colin, Chorles exploined, "There is o lorge omount of gold ond treosure buried here, belonging to the Xenoses.
Noturolly, we need o dedicoted guord force. Miss, by questioning this, ore you doubting my loyolty?"
Colin's eyes lit up ot the mention of buried treosure. With o ployful tone, he tossed the coptive he hod recently opprehended
before me ond suggested, "Ask him. Moybe he knows something. And os for thot treosure, if you're feeling generous, you could
shore o little with me os o reword."
I shot Colin o disdoinful glonce before shifting my ottention to the kneeling figure on the ground. Sternly, I demonded, "Who sent
you to ossossinote Shown? And who is the mostermind behind oll of this?"
Little did we anticipate that danger awaited us as soon as we got off the helicopter.
Colin approached me and asked, "Are you okay?"
I shook my head and replied, "I'm still alive."
"Heh, you've got quite the optimism," he remarked.
The marks on Colin's face revealed the intensity of the recent fight. "Stay behind me," he cautioned.
I nodded and expressed my heartfelt wish for everyone's safety. "Stay safe, all of you."
I never wanted to witness the loss of my people before my eyes, but I understood that sometimes death was an inescapable part
of reality.
"Don't worry, I won't die," Colin reassured me.
Under the firm guidance of Gary's grasp, I trailed behind him along a narrow pathway. Along the journey, I unexpectedly ran into
Charles, who was accompanied by a large group of people. Sporting a solemn expression, I inquired, "What has brought you to
this place?"
"Miss, we just received reports of a riot here," Charles informed me.
Taken aback, I questioned, "Are you here to rescue me?"
"Yes, ensuring your safety is our priority," he responded.
"Charles, go and provide immediate support," I commanded.
As I watched Charles walk away, doubts started to cloud my thoughts.
Turning to Gary, I asked, "Do you trust him?"
"Are you questioning Charles' loyalty?" Gray responded.
"Why are there so many people in Brimstone Mountain?" I wondered, recalling that Charles had been the sole inhabitant before.
"President Felix, you can hear his explanation later. If there are no red flags, we can trust him for now," Gary advised.
A few minutes later, Charles returned with Colin and the others.
A sense of relief washed over me as I saw Colin unscathed. Luck had truly been on his side.
It was only then that I turned my attention to Charles and posed the question, asking, "Has Brimstone Mountain been guarded all
this time?"
Dressed in a black robe, Charles stood before me, accompanied by a sizable group of people and horses behind him. The
significant number of guards surrounding Brimstone Mountain raised suspicions.
Looking at Colin, Charles explained, "There is a large amount of gold and treasure buried here, belonging to the Xenoses.
Naturally, we need a dedicated guard force. Miss, by questioning this, are you doubting my loyalty?"
Colin's eyes lit up at the mention of buried treasure. With a playful tone, he tossed the captive he had recently apprehended
before me and suggested, "Ask him. Maybe he knows something. And as for that treasure, if you're feeling generous, you could
share a little with me as a reward."
I shot Colin a disdainful glance before shifting my attention to the kneeling figure on the ground. Sternly, I demanded, "Who sent
you to assassinate Shawn? And who is the mastermind behind all of this?"