Chapter 281

A little kid ran past, and the toy sword in his hand accidentally tugged at the middle-aged woman’s headscarf.

The scarf slipped askew, exposing her face. Not even heavy makeup could conceal her haggard look, and the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes stood out starkly. Her sagging lips curled with a trace of viciousness.

It was Joanna, who had disappeared for a long time.

She was no longer the radiant and glamorous matriarch of the Meyers family.

Now, she looked more like a defeated gamecock, feathers scattered, pride shattered.

“Look at you now. Tsk, tsk!” Monica couldn’t help but sneer when she saw Joanna’s face.

Joanna replied indifferently, “Who hasn’t been young? When I was your age, I looked better than you.”

“Out with the old, in with the new. You’re just another fallen figure now,” Monica said with contempt. “Come on, cover up that ugly face of yours. Don’t let anyone recognize you.”

Joanna didn’t want to risk it either. She quickly wrapped her headscarf back in place and put on a pair of sunglasses.

“Miss Montgomery, what do you need from me?” Joanna asked.

“Landon’s coming to Dreicean soon. I want you to go to Norava and hold him back for me,” Monica said.

“You mean… Amelia?” Joanna asked.

Monica said, “That’s right.”

While on the plane in Norava, Landon sent a message to Amelia: [Honey, Kayla and Tuff are coming with me to Dreicean. Aiden will meet us there. Don’t worry.]

[Okay.] Amelia, sitting by Gloria’s hospital bed, smiled as she typed her reply.

All three of them were tough, so she wasn’t worried.

Besides, they had Aiden as cannon fodder. If Aiden didn’t cooperate, she’d stop giving him the antidote.

Just as Amelia thought the conversation was over and was about to put her phone down, another message popped up.

Landon: [Honey, don’t let anyone know you can hear my thoughts. If anyone with powers gets close to you, be extra careful.]

Amelia’s pupils contracted sharply.

‘Why is he suddenly bringing this up?’ she wondered.

Amelia quickly replied: [What’s going on?]

[Nothing. I’m not home, so I just want to remind you of that.] Landon even added an emoji to his message.

That only made Amelia feel more uneasy.

Landon was always emotionally reserved. Romantic gestures weren’t his thing, let alone using an emoji in a chat.

He was acting really out of character.

After thinking for a moment, Amelia pushed down her unease and sent him: [Got it. Don’t worry.]

“Amy, where’s Landon? He hasn’t come to see me today,” Gloria had woken up and was asking.

Amelia replied with a smile. “He’s busy with work. Kayla and Tuff won’t be coming by these days either. I’ll take care of you.”

“Did they go back to Lunova?” Gloria sounded a little disappointed.

A woman used to being pampered tended to be especially clingy when she was sick. She wanted all her children around her.

“Gloria, are you getting tired of me already?” Amelia teased.

Gloria quickly said, “No, of course not. I’m just not used to them leaving without telling me first…”

“Kayla wants to have the scars on her face treated, so she’ll be busy for a while,” Amelia lied.

That was a reason Gloria would love to hear.

Sure enough, Gloria looked delighted. “She finally came around?”

“Gloria, just wait for your beautiful daughter to come back,” Amelia said with a grin.

“Okay,” Gloria replied.

With a sigh, Gloria pulled a few childhood photos of Kayla from her wallet. “Didn’t Kayla look like a boy when she was little?”

“This is her?” Amelia was shocked.

In the photo, it was a short-haired, spirited little rascal.

Standing next to Landon, Kayla looked like his twin brother.

Gloria said, “Back then, my husband used to call her his little tomboy and always said she’d grow up to be a real beauty.”

She was lost in her memories, her eyes soft and gentle.

Amelia’s heart ached sharply.

Even after Isaac had passed away for years, Gloria still habitually called him “my husband,” her smile so soft and full of gentle affection.

Amelia thought to herself, ‘Landon’s parents must have really loved each other.’

Then her mind drifted to Landon. She and Landon were just like that–a couple everyone envied.

‘Will I be just as proud, telling stories about my husband when I’m a grandma someday?’ she wondered.

That night, everything in the world fell into slumber.

On the second floor of Kingsley Manor, the master bedroom light suddenly came on–blindingly bright against the darkness.

Amelia sat up, gasping for breath, her face pale and unsettled.

She’d had another nightmare.

Ever since she went back to the Zuckerberg family and officially acknowledged her roots, she hadn’t dreamt of the Amber Vase for a long time.

But that night, she found herself trapped inside it in her dreams once again.

‘Could Landon be in danger?’ Amelia thought, a chill running down her spine.

She grabbed her phone and quickly called him.

“Honey?” Landon’s voice was hoarse, like he’d just woken up.

Amelia let out a sigh of relief. “Honey, is everything going smoothly over there?”

“Yeah, everything’s going well. We’ve already arrived at Kyle Villa,” Landon replied.

“What? You’re staying there?” Amelia was shocked.

Landon let out a soft chuckle. “Surprised? You’re holding Aiden’s life in your hands right now. He won’t dare try anything.”

Amelia asked, “Have you found any leads on the Mystic Sect or the charm poison?”

“Yeah, I’ve got some leads. It’s tied to the Montgomery family.” Landon hesitated for a moment but decided to tell her the truth. “Amy, Monica is still alive. I suspect she poisoned Mom on purpose to lure me here.”

“So what should we do?” Amy asked, her heart that had just settled suddenly tightening again. “Last time she made you lose your memory and forget me. If it happens again…”

“This time I’ll go on the offensive,” Landon interrupted her with a smile. “Honey, your husband won’t make the same mistake twice.”

“Hmm.” Amelia nodded. Still, she couldn’t shake the unease. That nightmare was really disturbing.

Landon said, “Dreicean’s fruit is in season right now. I’ll bring you some when I get back, honey.”

“Sure!” Amelia replied.

“Oh, and I spotted this gorgeous inland lake from the plane today. Next time, I’ll take you and our son there for a little vacation,” Landon added.

“Sounds great…” Amelia replied softly.

Landon, who was usually so quiet, ended up chatting with her for over an hour.

Even though he was technically a “visitor” himself, he seemed to know everything about Dreicean’s culture and scenery–almost like he was trying to sell it as a must-visit destination.

Amelia slowly relaxed as she listened to his familiar voice, and before she knew it, she drifted off into a deep sleep.

Landon listened to the sound of her gentle breathing for a long, long time before finally hanging up.

Because of the time difference, it was already morning in Dreicean.

Landon looked out the window as a streak of light slowly pushed back the darkness, frowning in thought.

It wasn’t until the world was bathed in golden sunlight that he got up and left the room.

Aiden stood alone in the garden, like a statue carved from solitude and sorrow.

“Mr. Kyle,” Landon called.

Aiden turned back. “Time to head out?”

“I don’t want to waste any more time,” Landon replied.

Landon walked over to him and handed him a cigarette. The two stood together, chatting casually while watching the sunrise.

“Are there really people with supernatural powers?” Landon asked.

“Yeah. You took down the Kington Gang and turned your back on Monica. The Montgomery family hates your guts now,” Aiden replied.

“Turned my back? Please,” Landon scoffed. “There was never anything between me and Monica. How can you abandon something that never began?”

Aiden lit the cigarette and took a long drag. “She’s got the obsessive gene that runs in our family.”

“That’s why I’m planning to kill her. End it for good,” Landon said coldly.