Chapter 229

In Norava, Amelia paced her office, her anxiety growing with each passing day. She had full faith in Paloma, knowing that once Paloma committed to something, she saw it through. The biggest concern for both of them was how Landon would react. Would he believe Paloma? And if Monica found out, would everyone be in danger?

Suddenly, her assistant Tuff burst into the office, a phone clutched in his hand. “Amelia, we’ve got news!”

Amelia shot up from her chair, her heart pounding. “What is it?”

“Landon believed Paloma,” Tuff said, practically buzzing with excitement. “They’re already planning to take down the Kington Gang together.”

This news was a massive relief. Not only had Landon accepted Paloma’s story, but he was already working with her. This kind of inside-outside collaboration was their best chance to dismantle the gang.

“They're being too bold,” Amelia said, a worried frown on her face. She had hoped Landon would return home first so they could discuss everything.

“Amelia, you can’t catch a tiger cub without going into the den,” Tuff said, trying to reassure her. “We have to trust Landon.”

Amelia sighed. “Did Paloma say anything else?”

“No, that's it,” Tuff replied.

“Then what can I do?” Amelia’s voice was laced with helplessness.

“You don’t need to do anything, Amelia. Just wait it out,” Tuff said.

A few words sentenced her to an endless, uncertain wait. Amelia looked down, her delicate fists clenching in her lap.

“Aiden is still watching you,” Tuff reminded her. “Right now, doing nothing is the smartest move.”

Amelia finally uncurled her fists. “You’re right. I won’t make things harder for us.”

“Thanks, Amelia,” Tuff said.

Just as Tuff had said, Aiden was keeping a close eye on Amelia. He monitored her every move and every person she met. For days, her routine was simple: work, home, repeat.

Aiden finally felt a bit more at ease. When he called Monica, he couldn’t help but gloat. “Amelia’s given up. She’s just making money now. How’s it going on your end?”

“It’s going fine. He’s very obedient, but… in that department, he’s still not up to it,” Monica said, a hint of regret in her voice.

Monica wanted a baby, hoping it would make Gloria give up on Amelia. But Landon couldn’t—or wouldn’t—do it, and there was nothing she could do about it.

“Don’t stress, Monica. Once you win his heart, the rest will come naturally,” Aiden said, as if he were an expert.

Monica snorted. “Oh yeah? And what have you gotten from Amelia?”

Aiden was left speechless. He hadn’t gotten anything at all, except a poisoned body.

“Cousin, you have to keep trying too!” Monica encouraged him. They shared a moment of mutual understanding before hanging up.

Monica went to find Landon, swaying her hips. “Honey, what are you up to? Is your headache bothering you today?”

“It hurts. It really hurts,” Landon thought, gritting his teeth. But he forced himself to bear the pain. Paloma had told him that if he stopped taking the medication, his memories might return.

“It doesn’t hurt,” Landon said, his voice tight.

“That’s great! It means the treatment is working,” Monica said, pulling out a pill. “Here, take today’s dose.”

Landon took the pill but didn’t swallow it right away.

“What’s wrong?” Monica urged.

“I’m just wondering if this medicine is affecting my… performance,” Landon said, looking at the pill.

Monica was momentarily taken aback. “Why didn’t I think of that before?” she thought.

“Maybe we should skip it today?” Monica suggested.

“Forget it, let’s just deal with the headache first,” Landon said, pretending to swallow the pill as he slipped it into his mouth.

Monica didn’t know what to say.

“Every time I take these pills, I get so sleepy. Let’s just go to bed,” Landon said, lying down and closing his eyes. He pulled Monica into his arms and quickly fell asleep. Monica, stuck in his embrace, stewed in her frustration.

She was starting to get agitated. “Is curing a headache really more important than my sex life?” she grumbled to herself. She had to find out if this medicine was interfering with his performance.

She quietly got up and headed to headquarters.

As soon as she left, Landon opened his eyes, spat the pill out, and flushed it down the toilet. He then took one of the pills Paloma had given him. His head started pounding, and he clutched it, trembling with the intense pain. By the time it subsided, his shirt was soaked with sweat, but his mind was clearer than ever.

Memories flooded back. He saw himself as a vegetable, Amelia running the company with his guidance, and Gloria crying for him.

“I’m Landon, Amelia’s husband,” he whispered, his voice trembling with a mix of excitement and pain as tears welled in his eyes. Everything Paloma had said was true. With the help of the special meds and his sheer willpower, he had finally fought off the chip’s control and his memories had returned.

“Honey,” Landon whispered, his heart aching. “She must have suffered so much while I was gone.” He blamed himself for falling into Patrick’s trap, for being captured, and for ending up in Monica’s hands.

“Amelia, I’m so sorry,” he whispered, his heart twisting with regret.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. “Knock, knock! Are you in there?” It was Paloma, his sister.

Landon jumped out of bed, rushed to the door, and pulled her inside. “Sis…”

“You remembered everything, didn’t you?” Paloma said with a relieved smile. “Landon, I’m so proud of you!”

“Sis, I’m so sorry,” Landon kept repeating. “If it weren’t for me, you never would have been kidnapped.”

“Honestly, I’m grateful I was the one who took your place back then,” Paloma said with a gentle smile, patting his back. “I still haven’t remembered the past, and I don’t even remember you. But… I truly don’t blame you.”

Landon finally couldn’t hold back his tears. “Sis…”

“Alright, now’s not the time to be sad. We need to figure out how to take down the Kington Gang,” Paloma said in a low voice.

Landon let go of her and nodded firmly. “Sis, I’ve already planted the tracker you gave me on Monica. She went back to headquarters today, so we’ll have the map soon.”

“Okay!” Paloma breathed a huge sigh of relief. “I’m glad I came to find you. You’re even more capable than I thought.”

“Sis, I’ll get in touch with the Flying Tiger Sect and start planning our takedown,” Landon said.

“Okay,” Paloma replied.

When Monica returned, she looked upset. Landon asked gently, “What happened?”

“My dad yelled at me,” she pouted.

“Why?” Landon asked, keeping a straight face. He was satisfied; Monica had gone to her dad, so the tracker’s location was the Kington Gang’s headquarters.

“I questioned the doctor’s skills and ended up getting into a scuffle with him,” Monica complained.

Landon chuckled. “Does your hand hurt? Want me to blow on it for you?”

“It doesn’t hurt. But honestly, I really think there’s something off about that medicine. I even suspect my dad did it on purpose,” Monica said, her tone full of doubt. “Honey, what should we do? You can’t stop taking it…”

“Don’t worry. Let’s just focus on treating the headaches for now. We can deal with everything else later,” Landon said, taking Monica’s hand and looking at it carefully. For once, he seemed to genuinely care about her.

Monica’s heart melted, and she threw herself into his arms. “Honey, I’m exhausted today. Let’s go for a swim together—just the two of us, okay?”

Landon had been dying for a reason to get out of the house, so he jumped at the chance. “Sure, where do you want to go?”

“There’s a pool at home,” Monica suggested.

“Nah, that’s way too small,” Landon shot back. “Besides, I prefer hot springs.”

“Oh, is that so? I’ll make the arrangements,” Monica replied, glowing with excitement. She had never agreed to bathe with her since she brought him back. Now that he finally said yes, she was determined not to let this opportunity slip away.

Monica quickly booked out a nearby hot spring hotel and took Landon there. She brought a ton of stuff, including some aphrodisiacs. When she saw Paloma downstairs, she panicked, worried Paloma might tag along. She quickly said, “Paloma, we’re going on a date. You stay home!”

“Nah, I’m heading back,” Paloma said, her tone lazy but still carrying an air of elegance.

“Right now?” Monica blinked in surprise.

Paloma replied, “My little brother already booked my flight—he said Landon misses me.”

“Then you should hurry back!” Monica said eagerly, more than happy to see her go.

“Yeah, you two go enjoy your date. I’ll just grab my things and head out,” Paloma said.

Monica immediately grabbed Landon and hurried out with him, unaware that all of this was a setup between him and Paloma. The hot spring hotel was cleared out and reserved just for the two of them.

Landon was all smiles, showering Monica with sweet talk and even personally handing her a glass of milk to drink. Before long, Monica was floating on cloud nine and drifted off to sleep. Landon quietly slipped out of the hotel.

Paloma was already waiting outside, dressed in sharp leather from head to toe, looking fierce and confident. “Did you handle her?”

“Yeah,” Landon replied, getting into the car. “As planned.”

“Tonight’s gonna be epic!” Paloma said, her red lips curling into a smirk as she floored the gas pedal. They sped off toward the city where the Kington Gang was headquartered.

“Let’s bring the fight to them! Time for payback!” Landon thought, adrenaline surging through his veins. “Bring it on! Let the storm hit even harder!”

Ten minutes later, the Kington Gang was dealt a crushing blow. The Flying Tiger Sect’s elite, along with Interpol, launched a well-planned assault. A surprise attack was one thing, but what really shocked everyone was that they knew the headquarters’ layout inside out. The gang started losing ground, and with flames lighting up the night sky, Landon and Paloma stood side by side, their faces aglow.

“Landon, you’re something else!” Tuff said, striding over in full gear, grinning like a goofball. “Even in that mess, you managed to get your memories back.”

“All thanks to my sister’s medicine,” Landon replied, glancing back. He was surprised to see a man standing next to Kayla. It was Brian.

Brian smiled apologetically. “Sorry that I haven’t been able to fully cure you all yet.”

“Thanks,” Landon said simply, giving Brian a meaningful look before glancing at Tuff.

Tuff, feeling stifled for way too long, shoved a gun into Landon’s hand. “You’ve been holding it in for ages—go raise some hell!”

“You bet!” Landon shot back, his eyes blazing with resolve. He cocked his gun and charged into the fray. He was born to be a king among men, and all the rage and frustration bottled up inside him were finally going to be unleashed.

“Give me a gun too,” Paloma said, grabbing Tuff’s arm.

Tuff blinked in surprise, then grinned and handed her his pistol. “Kayla’s back in action! That’s my girl!”

“Hmph!” Kayla shot him a glare. Tuff just smiled sheepishly, wondering if one day she would remember her time in the spy organization and turn against them.

Gunshots and explosions echoed nonstop through the air.

Meanwhile, at the hot spring hotel, Monica was still fast asleep. It wasn’t until dawn that she opened her eyes and realized the spot next to her was empty. Panic shot through her, and she bolted out of the room, grabbing a waiter. “Where’s my husband?”

“You mean the gentleman who was with you, Miss Montgomery? He’s already left,” the waiter replied.

“Left? Where did he go?” Monica’s heart started pounding.

“I don’t know. He left in the middle of the night,” the waiter replied.

“The middle of the night?” Monica’s mind started racing. She thought back to the glass of milk he’d handed her himself, and her stomach dropped. “He must have put a sleeping pill in that milk,” she thought, her mind reeling. “But Landon had lost his memory… why would he do that?”

“No way… could it be?” she thought, a wave of panic washing over her. With trembling hands, she called home. “Butler, has Landon come back yet?”

“Miss, something terrible has happened…” the butler sobbed.

“Just spit it out—what happened?” Monica yelled, her voice shaking with urgency.

The butler’s voice cracked. “The Kington Gang’s headquarters was attacked. The police have already taken control…”

Monica’s legs went weak, and she sank to the floor. “I just went back yesterday, and now it’s under attack? I totally fell for it! Landon set me up!”

She rummaged through her clothes and found a tiny tracker in the sole of her shoe. “Landon, it really was you after all…” she cried, sobbing uncontrollably.

Her bodyguard rushed over. “Miss Montgomery, it’s not safe here. I have to get you out, now.”

“Was it him?” Monica cried, her voice shaking. “Was it Landon?”

“Yes. It was him,” the bodyguard confirmed.

“Why? He lost his memory—he wasn’t supposed to remember anything…” Monica sobbed.

“We still don’t know why, but that’s just how it is. If we don’t leave now, the cops will be here any minute,” the bodyguard urged.

Monica just sat there, unable to accept that he had never been hers. “Wait, there’s still a way,” she blurted out, snatching up her phone and dialing Aiden. “Aiden, the headquarters is under attack! Hurry and grab Amelia…”

“It’s too late,” Aiden’s voice came back, sounding utterly drained.

“Aiden?” Monica gasped in disbelief. “If we can just get control of Amelia, Landon will let our parents go…”

“The Zuckerberg family has her locked down tight. There’s no way I can get to her. And now… I’ve been captured too,” Aiden said, his voice heavy with defeat.

Monica screamed in utter despair. “Landon, you bastard! You’re the worst! I swear I’ll kill you…”

“Monica, the chip in Landon’s head might be the Flying Tiger Sect’s Achilles‘ heel. You need to get out of there and regroup later—” Aiden’s words were abruptly cut off as the line went dead.

Monica was bawling her eyes out, her face streaked with tears. With no other option, her bodyguard knocked her out cold and carried her away.