Chapter 437

Before Lorenzo could explain, he heard Alexia utter a sharp sound. Raising her chin, she said, "Why would I want to keep a bunch of disobedient idiots? Get lost! Don't follow me." With that, she strode away.

Lorenzo suppressed his anger. He thought, If we weren't still searching for the Treasure Box and unable to alert anyone, I'd definitely cut off Alexia's tongue.

One of his subordinates asked, "Lorenzo, she wants us gone. What do we do?"

"That's even better," Lorenzo replied. He immediately led his men to Romeo's courtyard and told the butler they had been dismissed by Alexia. Their excuse was plausible, their acting convincing. The butler suspected nothing; Alexia's habit of firing bodyguards was well-known. The butler said, "Let's arrange this. The manor is short-staffed. You can stay. You won't follow Miss Harper; instead, patrol the manor."

"Understood," Lorenzo agreed respectfully, nodding. He thought, Just when we needed a solution, one appeared. This is perfect.

Romeo and his wife didn't notice the new faces. The butler handled such matters, and they rarely inquired. Coincidence, it seemed, was on their side. The butler assumed they were unwanted bodyguards; Alexia believed the arrangement was the butler's doing. This fortunate coincidence allowed Lorenzo unobstructed access to search the manor for the Treasure Box.

Chapter 487

In the rain-soaked village, June led Tiffany from their lodgings. The helicopter's malfunction was repaired. They left early that morning, thanking their hosts and leaving payment before departing for the Azure Sea Royal Family's estate.

However, as they boarded the helicopter, gunshots rang out.

"Miss Kelley, watch out!" June shouted, quickly pushing Tiffany to the ground. A bullet whizzed past, embedding itself in the helicopter door.

"Danger! Protect Miss Kelley!" June yelled at her subordinates, then leaped from the helicopter to fight back. But their opponents, over a dozen armed men, were too many.

She thought, We're outmatched. How can we fight?

Tiffany tilted her head, listening to the footsteps in the rain. Silently counting, she thought, Twelve people. Extending her hand, she said, "Where's my bow and arrows?"

A subordinate retrieved them from their luggage, saying, "Miss Kelley, stay in the helicopter. We'll handle this."

Several subordinates jumped from the rear of the helicopter. Gunfire intensified.

Tiffany nocked an arrow, her movements fluid and precise. The instant a gunshot echoed, her arrow flew, striking its target with unmatched accuracy. The attackers focused on her, surrounding the helicopter.

Tiffany fired another arrow, piercing a subordinate's thigh. A scream and more gunfire followed. June knew the situation was dire. She pulled Tiffany down. "Miss Kelley, we must retreat."

"No," Tiffany said. "Here, we're sitting ducks if we leave. Get everyone on board and take off."

"But we risk crashing."

"Better than being riddled with bullets."

Seeing Tiffany's resolve, June nodded. They returned to the helicopter. A gust of wind lifted them into the air.

The hitmen's leader yelled, "Shoot them down!"

More intense gunfire erupted, alarming the nearby village.

Kenneth awoke to Odin's frantic arrival. "Mr. Harper, bad news," Odin said. "Miss Kelley was attacked outside the village. Their helicopter… crashed into the valley."

Kenneth was stunned. "What? Who were they?"

"I don't know."

"Chase them. We must find Tiffany before they do."

Kenneth rushed toward the valley with his subordinates. The valley appeared close, but it was distant and densely wooded, making it difficult to locate the crash site. He thought, Finding her will take forever. And those hitmen are still tracking her. If they get to her first…

He was sweating profusely, his heart pounding.

"Odin, take a team to search there. The rest go that way. The remainder come with me. Report any news immediately."

"Got it."

The group split into three search parties.

In the valley stream, Tiffany choked on water, but grasped a piece of driftwood, floating to the bank. The helicopter hadn't been high, so the crash, while dangerous, left everyone relatively unharmed. However, the swift current separated Tiffany from the others. Drenched and shivering, she couldn't see clearly, unsure of nearby dangers. She listened intently, relieved to hear only the wind and rustling leaves.

She called out softly, "June? June?" She didn't want to attract attention. Finding a stick, she used it as a cane and followed the stream. She was swept downstream, losing her bearings. She didn't know if she was going in the right direction.

In the nearby jungle, Kenneth, searching for Tiffany, encountered the hitmen.

"Who are you?" he demanded.

Their expression suggested they didn't want conflict. "We have one target, Mr. Harper. Don't interfere."

"I can't allow that."

Kenneth raised his hand, and his subordinates charged. He thought, They have guns? So do we!

Gunfire erupted in the jungle.

Tiffany, nearby, heard the shots and paused, realizing June and the hitmen had clashed. She quickly stumbled onward.