Chapter 452
Even if Sidney wanted to cover up Tiffany's actions, news of her stabbing her fiancé at their engagement party had already gone viral. Online, she faced a torrent of insults and accusations, and the Kelley family's businesses suffered the consequences. Stocks plummeted, and they were hemorrhaging money. Charlie, however, was unconcerned with finances; his only focus was finding his missing daughter. Tiffany had vanished after the engagement, leaving no calls or messages.
The Kelley family was devastated. They barely ate or slept; even Eric, known for his round face, had lost weight.
Meanwhile, Melody thrived. This was precisely what she had wanted, and she decided to personally congratulate the family—a fitting response, she felt, to her parents' "generosity" in kicking her out. Grinning, she donned her best dress and heels and set off for Cedar Ridge Villa.
En route, a car sped past her intersection, startling her. "Stop the car!" she shouted.
The driver slammed on the brakes, looking confused. "Is something wrong, Miss?"
"Turn right—follow that car!" she urged, frantic. She wasn't sure what she'd seen, but it had unnerved her.
The driver hesitated. "But aren't we going to the Kelley family's house?"
"Just hurry!"
He accelerated, sharply turning to follow the car.
Lovell City was shrouded in darkness under a heavy, cloud-laden sky. A downpour seemed imminent, and the streets were nearly deserted, only the flashing traffic lights breaking the night's silence. The autumn wind whipped down the road, swirling fallen leaves. The scene felt bleak and desolate.
The driver eventually caught up to the car Melody had spotted. At a red light, they stopped. Without hesitation, Melody ordered, "Get out. I'll drive."
"Be careful—" The driver muttered, exiting the vehicle. He was her fifth driver. This woman is impossible to please, he thought, shaking his head as he walked away.
Melody slid behind the wheel. As she gripped the steering wheel, the light turned green, and the black car ahead started to move. Her hands trembled slightly, but she tightened her grip and followed closely.
In the black car, Lorenzo glanced in the rearview mirror. "Sir, we're being followed—it's Melody. Should we lose her?"
"Let her be," Felix replied, his expression unreadable, his eyes cold and distant.
Lorenzo attributed Felix's mood to their recent setbacks in Lovell City. To reassure him, Lorenzo said, "Sir, don't worry. After my investigation into the Harper family over the past couple of days, I'm confident we'll get the Treasure Box this time." Their previous attempts to infiltrate the Harper estate had failed, nearly exposing them.
However, shadowing Romeo, as the family's bodyguards, had finally paid off; they'd discovered the hiding place.
It was concealed in the ceiling of Romeo's room, not in the closet or under the bed. The old man had taken significant precautions, including infrared cameras and reinforced manor defenses. It was practically an invitation.
Lorenzo smirked. Even if Romeo defended it with his life, they were prepared. They would obtain the Treasure Box, even if it meant demolishing the Harper estate.
A few minutes later, the car stopped. Felix glanced up lazily. Thirty to forty cars, with more arriving, were already surrounding the Harper family manor—over one hundred people in total.
And these weren't ordinary individuals; each was an elite operative personally trained by Felix.
Felix smirked, watching the clock approach 2 a.m. "Alright. Let's go. Don't screw this up again."
It was both a warning and a final chance. Lorenzo nodded gravely and exited the car.
Seconds later, blue fireworks illuminated the dark, calm night.
Before the fireworks faded, figures poured from the cars, converging on the Harper manor.
Inside, Ryan had just finished a furious argument with his wife, Felicia. The argument began when Felicia caught him getting too close to a maid in the backyard. Enraged, Felicia stripped the maid naked and tied her to a tree, escalating into a massive argument that disrupted the Harper family for hours. Years of marriage had bound them too tightly to separate easily, resulting in a cold war in separate rooms.
By midnight, they were still ignoring each other. Felicia, crying, stared at her reflection, feeling increasingly despondent. Then, she heard footsteps outside her door.
She froze, hoping it was Ryan seeking reconciliation. Opening the door, she began, "At least you still have—" Then she saw it wasn't Ryan, but a man with a menacing expression.
Felicia screamed, but was immediately knocked unconscious, her body collapsing onto the floor.
The man silently closed the door and turned to see more than ten of his accomplices emerging from other rooms.
They exchanged silent nods before dispersing to their targets. Within ten minutes, the manor was eerily quiet. Everyone had either been knocked unconscious or killed. The brutality highlighted the group's ruthlessness. After clearing the manor, they proceeded to Romeo's quarters.
Romeo's handpicked bodyguards were on watch, as usual. But a dozen guards were no match for hundreds of attackers. More than ten were quickly subdued.
With the threat neutralized, the group advanced on Romeo's room.
Romeo wasn't asleep. He always woke in the middle of the night, and he had just done so. But something felt amiss. Why is it so quiet tonight? he wondered.
(The final lines, including "SEND GIFT," seem out of place and unrelated to the chapter narrative.)