Maurice couldn''t hold back hisugh in a nearby car as he watched the chaos unfold. "Well. This is getting interesting."


    The long-lost daughter of Khogend''s wealthiest family had been missing for 18 years before finally being found and brought home. But her fairy-tale returnsted barely six months before she was cast out once again.


    She was now renting some run-down shack on the outskirts of town. And the kicker was-she was almost engaged to Khogend''s golden boy, Arnold, the heir of the Lawson family.


    The more Maurice dug, the more surprises he uncovered.


    One particr nugget was some seriously shady history between her and Stephan. The untouchable Stephan, who never cared about women, had not only taken her side but nearly obliterated the Lawson family to do it. He''d even forced them to hand over a whole oil field and a mine, all transferred to Felicia''s name.


    When Maurice first uncovered that, he thought it had to be an exaggeration. What kind of woman could bring a guy like Stephan to his knees? Even as he pieced together these hidden connections, he''d been skeptical. But now, seeing her from afar, he finally understood. She wasn''t just holding her own against an ambush. She''d already taken down three of his men with sharp, unexpected moves and had managed to make a run for it.


    And on top of that she was stunning. She wasn''t just beautiful. There was something striking about her, a kind of edgy charm that you couldn''t ignore.


    Maurice''sughter died away as he snapped his fingers. The yful glint in his amber eyes vanished, reced by his usual cold, ruthless demeanor.


    "A bunch of idiots," he said tly. "If you don''t get her this time, you''re the ones who''ll pay the price."


    His men didn''t need further motivation. The threat was crystal clear. They immediately tightened their pursuit, determined to corner her. Failure wasn''t an option-not when their lives were on the line.


    Meanwhile, Felicia sprinted toward the nearest crowd, shouting as she ran. "Human traffickers! Somebody help me!"


    Themotion caught the attention


    of hikers and campers near the bus stop. Some were tourists heading back to town, while others were just starting their overnight treks


    Her cries drew some concerned looks, and a few people even seemed ready to step in. But the two cars barreled through the crowd, scattering everyone before they could act.


    Faced with the danger, bystanders quickly backed off, too worried about their own safety to help a stranger.


    Within moments, Felicia found herself cornered.


    The two cars blocked her path. Their doors flew open, and tenrge men spilled out, moving in on her without a word.


    Felicia pulled out herst resort with


    no other options-every ounce of the poison powder she carried. She flung it in all directions, catching most of the attackers off guard.


    Several went down, coughing and choking. However, two or three managed to evade the worst of it.


    Felicia wasn''t a match for them in hand-to-handbat. After a few desperate moves, they overpowered her, tying her hands and shoving her into one of the cars.


    At the same time, not far away, Myra and Ka were making their way down the mountain.


    Ka spotted themotion first, her heart skipping a beat as she recognized Felicia being forced into a car with her hands bound.


    Her pulse raced with excitement. Could the wish she made under the old tree for Felicia to be abducted really being true?


    "Thank goodness!" Ka silently wished, hoping Felicia would simply vanish. That way, she wouldn''t have to get her own hands dirty.


    Myra heard themotion, too, and nced in that direction with a frown. "What''s going on over there? Who''s shouting?" she asked, her voice tinged with curiosity.novelbin