“I will talk to jos,” Vivian said. As she spoke, she picked up the phone and quickly sent an email to jos.
jos did not reply immediately, perhaps he was busy. But it didn’t matter, Vivian had made up her mind.
Seeing Vivian’s resolute attitude, Emmert left a brief message for jos and then turned the car towards Mrs. Yazmin’s estate.
It wasn’t early anymore, the sky was slowly darkening, and the streets of Houston were gradually illuminated by streetlights, casting a clear path ahead.
Mrs. Yazmin’s estate was located in the outskirts, away from the city center. There weren’t many vehicles on the road with them, so the journey was smooth.
“Why would Aunt’s security system be the best in the entire mafia?” Vivian was puzzled. “The Bratva has always targeted the Capos and their close family members in the mafia. Traditionally, shouldn’t the security system around the Capo be the highest level?”
“Because of Mrs. Yazmin’s husband, Dalon,” Emmert exined, observing Vivian through the rearview mirror.
“Mrs. Yazmin’s husband, Mr. Dalon, is jos’s third uncle. He is a strong and powerful man, both physically and mentally. He was once the strongestpetitor of Kamden Capo. At the age of thirty, he personally trained a formidable bodyguard team, known throughout the mafia as the ‘steel shields’.”
“Could it be…” Vivian was astonished.
“Yes,” Emmert confirmed Vivian’s guess. “On his deathbed, Mr. Dalon gave this bodyguard team to Mrs. Yazmin.”
“The captain of the bodyguard team was Mr. Dalon’s trusted aide. He led the team to apany Mrs. Yazmin through her sad days and still fulfills his duty now, guarding Mrs. Yazmin’s safety.” As he spoke, Emmert’s expression turned regretful. “Unfortunately, the captain of the bodyguard team is a stubborn old man. He is only loyal to Mr. Dalon’s legacy.”
jos had tried to borrow members from this old captain many times, wanting to better protect Vivian and Dhanna. Even Mrs. Yazmin had tried to mediate, but the old captain refused stubbornly, leaving jos with no choice but to give up.
The sports car slowly entered the estate, and the guards at the gate recognized Emmert, letting them pass without much obstruction.
Having received the news, Mrs. Yazmin was already waiting at the door of the vi.
As the car came to a stop, Mrs. Yazmin eagerly approached, waiting for Vivian to carry Dhanna out of the car.
“Dhanna, my little darling,” Mrs. Yazmin’s affection for Dhanna was evident, her eyes sparkling with joy. “Have you missed Auntie? Auntie has missed you so much.”
At the same time, Mrs. Yazmin invited Vivian inside. “Why did you suddenlye over without any notice? I wasn’t prepared at all.”Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.
Mrs. Yazmin asked with concern, “Have you eaten? Are you hungry? Shall I ask the kitchen to make something for you?”
“I’ve already eaten, I ate with Vilem at the hospital. Aunt, please don’t worry.” Vivian stopped her.
“How is Vilem? Is he feeling better?” Mrs. Yazmin inquired.
“He’s much better now. His left ear can already hear some sounds. He needs to rest and follow the treatment.” Vivian replied.
“That’s good to hear.” Mrs. Yazmin hugged Dhanna and led them into the warm interior. On the sofa in the living room, there was a woven basket filled with balls of yarn scattered inside.
Mrs. Yazmin had been knitting when she heard Dhanna had arrived and rushed out.
Mrs. Yazmin was preparing tea with the help of a maid. Vivian quickly said, “Don’t bother, Aunt, I’m leaving soon.”
“Now?” Mrs. Yazmin didn’t react right away. “Why are you in such a hurry?”
“I brought Dhanna over. Let her stay with you for a few days.” Vivian suggested.
Mrs. Yazmin immediately sensed something amiss. “What’s wrong? Is something happening? Are you nning to divorce jos?”
“Of course not, Aunt. Please don’t worry.” Vivian exined, “I am nning a honeymoon trip with jos. Dhanna can’te with us…”
Mrs. Seeing Vivian’s face turning slightly red, Mrs. Yazmin’s doubts diminished. She was happy that Vivian and jos had a good rtionship. Since they got married, they had not enjoyed a proper honeymoon together. She understood and said, “That’s fine. If you want to go, go ahead. Leave Dhanna with me, I’ll take good care of her.”
“Thank you, Aunt.” Vivian looked reluctantly at her child, holding back tears. She didn’t know if this parting would lead to anything else, but she tried not to dwell on it.
She kissed her child on the forehead, whispering softly in her ear, “Dhanna, mommy has to leave now. Mommy and daddy will always love you.”
Finally, biting her lip, she turned away from her child, saying, “Ah, jos is waiting for me to get back and pack up. I have to go.” She quickly turned around, not letting Mrs. Yazmin see her teary eyes.
“So urgent…” Mrs. Yazmin observed Vivian’s state with some suspicion, but she didn’t ask further. She held Dhanna’s hand and waved goodbye to Vivian as she got into Emmert’s car.
Vivian got into the car, closed the door firmly. Her once smiling face now turned cold. She breathed heavily, covering her mouth, unable to stop her tears. “Drive.”
Emmert nced at her but didn’t ask. He started the car as instructed and slowly drove out of the estate.
“Back to the apartment?” Emmert asked.
“Where is jos?” Vivian inquired.
Emmert nced at the message on the phone and replied, “He’s on his way back to the apartment.”
“Then let’s go back to the apartment. Please hurry,” Vivian said.
Emmert silently sent a brief message to jos, exining the situation, then pressed on the gas pedal towards the direction of the apartment.
jos worked at a port closer to the city than Mrs. Yazmin’s estate. By the time Vivian returned to the apartment, jos had been sitting in the living room for a while.
Upon hearing themotion at the front door, jos rose abruptly from the sofa in the living room, his gaze shifting from Vivian’s hands to Emmert’s.
Nothing.
Where was she?
“Where’s Dhanna?” jos struggled to contain his anger as he questioned.
Contrary to jos, Vivian remained unexpectedly calm. She replied, “She’s staying at Aunt’s.”
jos felt frustrated that Vivian seemed to be hiding something. Previously, he had agreed to leave their daughter with Aunt to allow Vivian to rest and recuperate, but since bringing their daughter back, she had hardly left her side. Now, sending their daughter over was unusual. It made him feel a bit anxious.
“What are you nning, Vivian?” jos grabbed her shoulders, shaking her gently. “Don’t do anything stupid.”
“I’m not doing anything stupid. I just want to ensure greater safety,” Vivian said. “Is my father still alive? What does Mark want to do? Where are they hiding in Houston? We urgently need answers to these questions; we are facing a major crisis.”
“No, Vivian, listen to me. The situation isn’t as bad as you imagine. Mark isn’t that terrifying,” jos reassured.
“But you can’t find him,” Vivian pinpointed jos’s sore spot. “He, like my father, has no weaknesses. They are hiding in the dark.”
“We will find him,” jos promised.