Chapter 494

Lorenzo was ruthless. Veins bulged on the back of his hand, a testament to his strength. If he delayed another minute, Melody would likely be strangled to death.

"Mr. Harper, you don't have much time to think," Lorenzo grinned hideously. He was no different from a lemur who had lost his humanity.

Kenneth gritted his teeth. Unwillingly, he conceded. "Release her."

Lorenzo, holding Melody hostage, walked out of the bookstore. He saw several skilled bodyguards waiting outside, sent by Kenneth to capture him. Though well-disguised, Lorenzo recognized them instantly. Kenneth waved a hand; the bodyguards retreated.

Lorenzo, unimpeded, forced Melody into a car. He turned, a cheeky smile on his face. "I'll have to trouble this lady to give me a ride. I'll drop her off shortly, for her safety. Mr. Harper, please don't follow!"

He drove away. Kenneth remained rooted to the spot, not giving chase.

Odin watched Lorenzo leave, his anger evident in the kick he delivered to a wall. He had secretly investigated the Treasure Box and found Lorenzo, even giving him a million dollars to maintain secrecy. Unexpectedly, Lorenzo had followed the clues and stormed the Harper family home.

Enraged, Odin asked, "Mr. Harper, are we just going to let him go? Aren't we going to chase him?"

"No," Kenneth shook his head. With Melody as a hostage, forcing Lorenzo into a corner would be dangerous. He felt there would be another opportunity.

Indignant, Odin blurted, "That woman is infuriating! If she hadn't overestimated herself and run off, we would have caught Lorenzo long ago!"

"Yes…" Kenneth gazed in the direction of Lorenzo's escape, his face expressionless, his eyes cold.

In the car, Melody coughed violently. Fear and despair were gone, replaced by anger. She turned to Lorenzo, scolding, "It was just a show! Did you have to be so ruthless?" The strangulation marks on her neck were obvious, a large, reddish-purple bruise a painful testament to his actions.

Lorenzo shrugged. "If I hadn't been ruthless, would Kenneth have let me go? Besides, he encountered us today. What if he became suspicious of you? I'm doing this for your own good."

Melody was speechless. Though angry, she had to admit he had a point. Even though she'd broken up with Kenneth, for her future in Lovell City, she couldn't let him suspect her.

Chapter 194

Melody sat up straight. "Why did you kidnap me? It's my birthday; I can't wait any longer!"

"Which thing?"

"Mr. Quaid promised to help me get rid of Tiffany if I helped him achieve his tour de force in the Harper family!"

Lorenzo nodded, pulling over. His face was gloomy, terrifying. "Don't worry, that girl isn't long for this world. She plotted against Mr. Quaid, had me tied up and beaten, and even tried to send me to Kenneth! Even if Mr. Quaid didn't care, I wouldn't let it go."

"Really? When?" Melody was happy.

"A week, at most!" Lorenzo smiled sinisterly. "If you're not satisfied, you can kill her yourself. How about that?"

"Good," Melody agreed eagerly. Eliminating Tiffany would pave her way to acceptance by Charlie and Thalia.

"Then I'll wait for your good news," Melody smiled, exiting the car. Immediately adopting a pitiful expression, she stood helplessly on the street, fearing Kenneth's surveillance. However, no one came. She realized Kenneth, heeding Lorenzo's warning, hadn't sent anyone.

Relieved, she hailed a taxi back to the bookstore, only to find it empty. Kenneth was gone.

Stunned, she felt a sudden fear—a loss of control.

"Drive me to the Harper family manor!" she commanded, but servants at the gate stopped her.

"Let me in! I need to see Kenneth!"

"Miss Princeton, Mr. Harper isn't home. Come again later," the servant replied.

"His car's in the courtyard! Tell him I need to see him today, or I won't leave!" She had to speak to Kenneth, to explain, before he suspected her and investigated.

The servant looked troubled. Kenneth had returned ten minutes ago, but instructed he wasn't to see Melody.

Chapter 494 (Second Instance)

Just as they were in a deadlock, Alexis heard a commotion.

The servant said, "Miss Harper, Miss Princeton is here, but Mr. Harper instructed…"

Alexis looked cautiously at Melody, who smirked. "You want to seduce my brother again?"

Melody protested, "It's not like that! I just want to see Kenneth!"

"You stayed at my house for almost ten days a while ago. Didn't you say you wanted to come again when you left? Now you're asking me to open the door? How dare you?" Alexis chuckled sarcastically.

The text still contains some inconsistencies and potential typos (e.g., "emuah," "fronta," "md–eked," "chies tour de Eur Res"), but it is significantly improved in terms of grammar, punctuation, and overall readability. Further editing might be necessary depending on the intended style and context of the story.