CHapter 112


    “What do you mean?”


    Thorpe tucked his brother into bed, casting a hopeful nce at Noe. “Not the ce to talk. Let’s


    not disturb his rest; we’ll step outside.”


    “Okay.”


    Once outside the room. Thorpe began to exin. “The guy is locked up, alright. After we got him


    out of Heartfelt Orphanage, your cops nabbed him not long after. I can only give you the location of


    the jail. Whether or not you’ll get to see him or hear what you want, that’s not my concern.”


    Noe wore a mask that concealed her face, her slightly furrowed brow the only visible sign of her


    emotions. Her eyes were striking, with an icy sheen like a goddess descended from snow–capped


    peaks, untouched by the world’s filth.


    “Fine, but you better not be lying to me.”


    “Rx. A promise is a promise. And hey, if you ever feel like joining our anytime!” Thorpe seized


    the moment to make his pitch.


    crew, you’ll be wee


    The illness guing Hollis was so severe that even renowned international neurosurgeons wouldn’t


    dare operate. Thorpe had risked consulting with underground doctors, yet not one could guarantee


    sess. Only the enigmatic Phantom Surgeon Lunaris had managed to pull his brother back from


    death’s door.


    It was no wonder Thorpe wanted her on board with Cerulean Whale; she could be their ace in the


    hole.


    Suddenly, a warm hand wrapped around Noe’s slender waist from behind.


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    The heat from his palm wasforting on her delicate frame and Noe could feel the strength. of


    his grip.


    Palmer stood there, a cold and deadly aura about him, ring at Thorpe. “Mr. Thorpe never learns


    to read the room. Since that’s the case, Abyssal Organization will be sure to extend a warm


    wee to our friends from Cerulean Whale.”


    Thorpe’s face paled! This was a threat from Palmer!


    Meeting Palmer’s warning gaze, Thorpe couldn’t help but scoff in response. “Does Abyssal


    Organization run Harmonia Country now?”


    “You’ll find out soon enough if we do,” Palmer said coolly, guiding Noe away from Fortress


    Hospital.


    Palmer reluctantly released the sweet softness of his fiancée from his embrace, not understanding


    the magic she wielded that made him never want to let go.


    If she weren’t so young, he’d marry her this instant.


    Palmer opened the car door for Noe and buckled her in. “Granddad called, wants us to pick them


    up from the hospital. Heading back to Imperial City now?”


    It was indeed time for the elderly gentlemen to be discharged, and Palmer’s phone had been


    bombarded with calls early in the morning because Noe didn’t pick up their calls,


    “Sure, but this isn’t the way back to Imperial City.”


    Palmer smiled, a warm spring breeze in his demeanor. “I’m taking you somewhere special. The


    granddads can wait a little longer.


    Considering the amount of time they had already spent at the hospital, a little more wouldn’t


    hurt.


    “Where?”


    “You’ll see soon enough. Besides, Beckett said to take you out for some fun, no rush.”


    Beckett was concerned about Thorpe’s men still lurking in Imperial City and had been busy dealing


    with them. By the time Thorpe realized what was happening, his entire Harmoniawork might be


    uprooted.


    Palmer drove into a rustic countryside, the luxury of his car shing with the dpidated


    surroundings like an unwee intruder.


    They stopped in front of a yard, and Noe immediately recognized it as the Lambert ancestral


    home where she’d grown up!


    A new sign hung at the entrance, announcing the new name: Verdant Garden!


    Maddox, spotting the,car, jogged over to greet them. “Ms. Noe, wee back! And this must be


    your fiancé? Come on in!”


    Noe was clearly surprised by Palmer’s choice to bring her here.


    The courtyard’s osmanthus trees were in full bloom, their fragrance enveloping the area in at heady


    scent, soothing and delightful. She noticed even the path to the front door had been


    renovated.


    “Maddox, who fixed the road?”


    Maddox puffed up with pride. “On your orders, of course. We used Mr. Lambert’s donation! Best


    materials only. The vige’s got inte now! With the leftover funds, we’re nning to buy sr


    panels for themunity!”


    The vige’s perpetual poverty stemmed from its remote location, making Palmer’s drive there quite


    challenging. If it weren’t for the recently repaired road, only ox carts and helicopters could make it


    in!


    Pushing open the gate, they saw a rocking chair swaying beneath an osmanthus tree.


    “Mrs. Lambert’s casket is here in the yard, under the osmanthus,” Maddox exined, discreetly


    wiping away a tear.


    He and Old Mrs. Lambert had grown up together, and it pained him to see her pass away after a


    lifetime of hardship that seemed for naught.


    “Your grandma… she was lucky to have such a wonderful granddaughter. Life has its own justice.


    Your dad… I mean Mr. Lambert, he was her karma. The ungrateful wretch! After she took him in


    and raised him, he repaid her like this.”


    Maddox shook his head with a mix of anger and sadness.


    Noe was taken aback.


    Could Vincent really not be Old Mrs. Lambert’s own flesh and blood?


    “Maddox, what are you getting at? Vincent isn’t my grandmother’s biological child?”


    “Ah, it’s all ancient history now. Back in the day, your grandmother had a child, but tragically. the


    little one passed away. Heartbroken, she took in an orphan nobody else wanted–that child was


    Vincent.”


    Realizing he’d spoken too much, Maddox pped a hand over his mouth and, despite Noe’s


    prodding, refused to divulge more. With a wave and a chuckle designed to brush off the gravity


    of his revtion, he made his exit.


    Noe watched his stooped figure retreat, her mind swirling with confusion.


    Vincent wasn’t a true Lambert? How had she never known this all these years? Old Mrs. Lambert


    had never mentioned it once!


    Palmer gazed at Noe standing beneath the osmanthus tree, her dress speckled with the delicate


    blossoms as if she were in the midst of a glorious lc shower. She appeared like a fairy straight out


    of a painting.


    And yet, she moved with such an effortless grace, her gestures brimming with a wild elegance. The


    evening breeze lifted her skirt, revealing her shapely, baster legs that gleamed in the fading


    light.


    Palmer’s breath hitched, and he reached out to brush away the lcs that had settled on Noe’s


    shoulders and hair.


    His voice, gentle and enthralling, carried the rhythm of a waltz. “Would you mind showing me


    around the ce? I want to see where my fiancée grew up.


    His voice was soft as a feather as it grazed Noe’s ear.


    “Did you bring me here just for this?”


    Palmer took her hand, hisughter a soft whisper. He was tender and considerate as he carefully


    exined his actions. “On one hand, I wanted to see where my little girl spent her childhood. On the


    other, now that we’re back, it’s only right toe home and show your


    grandmother that you’re doing well.”