Chapter 439

Tiffany's eyes darkened. Locating the source of Kenneth's voice, she silently grabbed his throat, pressing him against a tree. Her switchblade flashed open. "Tell me," she demanded. "Who are you? Are you one of them?"

She thought: Those hitmen have already tracked me here; they won't let me go easily. The person who could track my movements, gather information with such skill, and send assassins after me is either Felix—still persistent—or another group. Either way, they're all my enemies.

"Tell me!" Tiffany repeated, pressing the knife harder against Kenneth's neck. The blade swiftly and decisively grazed his skin, drawing blood. He didn't flinch. "I don't know who you're talking about," he stammered, "but I'm a good guy."

Tiffany's eyes twitched. His reply was unconvincing.

Kenneth nearly bit his tongue. He regretted his clumsy speech; each word seemed more foolish than the last. After a long pause, he managed, "I really want to help you. I have no other intentions."

He thought: Even if I did, it's just a selfish desire I can't admit.

Tiffany frowned, only half believing him. She thought: I don't know his motives, but he doesn't seem to intend to harm me. He could have easily stabbed me while I couldn't see. This would be the perfect opportunity.

After a moment's hesitation, Tiffany withdrew her blade. Though she sheathed it, suspicion lingered in her gaze.

Kenneth's heart pounded. He was a terrible liar, and his fabricated excuse had flushed his face. Guilt and nervousness overwhelmed him. If Tiffany could see, she'd see his shame. To hide his discomfort, he forced a deep, rough voice. "I'm really not a bad guy. Don't be afraid."

He thought: Emphasizing it like this only makes me seem more suspicious.

He stammered, "I—I didn't mean that. You're lost, and it's not safe for you to be alone. Maybe you can tell me where you're going. I…I can take you home…"

He expected continued suspicion, but to his surprise, Tiffany simply said, "Let's go."

Kenneth was stunned. "Where are we going?" he asked stupidly.

"Didn't you say you were going to the Azure Sea Royal Family's estate to buy medicinal herbs?" Tiffany smiled charmingly. "It's on my way. Please take me along. Thank you."

Kenneth thought: This sweet, almost fawning girl is completely different from the fierce woman who had a knife to my throat moments ago. He touched his wound and smiled helplessly, finding the contrast indescribably cute.

He continued to guide Tiffany, leading her from the valley to a helicopter. Behind them, his subordinates exchanged confused glances. Kenneth silently mouthed instructions, telling them to pretend to be villagers.

The subordinates were shocked but obeyed. Soon after Tiffany boarded the helicopter, many voices filled the air.

Jumbo, the kind-hearted man who brought them to the helicopter, explained, "They're all from our village."

"Oh," Tiffany murmured, gesturing apologetically. "Sorry to bother you."

A subordinate quickly replied, "Not at all," but after a look from Kenneth, he changed his tack. "We ran into a group of men in black suits and dealt with them. Young lady, those weren't your companions, were they?"

Tiffany thought: He must mean the hitmen. She shook her head. "Nope."

"Good," he said. "They ran off after we beat them. Come with us, just in case they return. We'll keep you safe."

"Thank you," Tiffany nodded.

She thought: I thought the gunshots were June and the others encountering the hitmen, but it was these villagers. They're badass. Even separated from June, she no longer worried about their safety; the hitmen’s target was always her.

The helicopter lifted off. In the spacious cabin, the "villagers" chatted casually, half the conversation fabricated, half improvised. Kenneth sighed with relief, giving his subordinates a silent thumbs-up.

He thought: They sound believable; Tiffany won't suspect anything.

Tiffany wasn't interested in second-guessing them. She thought: Things can't get much worse. I believe these people won't harm me. If they wanted to, they would have already.

Unable to see, she leaned against the cabin wall, closing her eyes and resting. The noise gradually faded as the passengers drifted off to sleep, their snores a soft hum.

Tiffany's mind drifted to Richard. She thought: I wonder how Richard is and whether Felix will attack him again while he’s vulnerable. I need to get to the Azure Sea Royal Family’s estate and beg for the medicine. Only that medicine will wake him up…

Anxiety gnawed at her, but she forced herself to remain calm. Suddenly, she felt a cold, wet sensation on her forehead, accompanied by sharp pain. Instinctively, she tensed, but the smell of iodine alerted her. Someone was disinfecting and treating her wound with careful precision.

She relaxed, pretending to sleep. After a few minutes, she opened her eyes, still met with a blurry gray. June had said her sight would return within two days, but two days had passed, and she still couldn't see.

Despair crept in. She thought: Could it be…that I'll never see again?