Chapter 1294: Visitors from the Cunningham Family
It seemed that targeting her father and Libby was not easy, so she had to pin her hopes on Lord Parker. However, given her past conflicts with the Duke’s residence, meeting Lord Parker would be challenging.
Wait, she thought of someone. Miss Lawrence was now a distinguished guest at the Duke’s residence. If she could introduce her, it would certainly work. Fortunately, she had an appointment with Miss Lawrence tomorrow.
“Yes, that’s the plan! How can I let my elder sister suffer in my place?”
The family dinner ended hastily. Declan lost his appetite, and Pearl was distracted. Brody had to clear away the dishes.
Early the next morning, Pearl got up, freshened up, and quietly left the villa with her handbag. Natalia saw this and smiled, pretending not to notice before turning back to her room.
Shortly after Natalia left, a group of oddly dressed people arrived at the Gilliam family’s gate. Brody hurried over, greeted the lady and madam on the sofa, and then whispered something to Declan. Whatever he said made Declan’s expression change; he immediately put down his newspaper.
“Are you sure?”
Brody nodded. “I wouldn’t dare deceive you, sir. They are waiting at the villa’s entrance for your orders.”
“Invite them into the hall; I’ll be there shortly.”
“Yes, sir.” Brody quickly exited the hall with his orders. Declan went upstairs to his bedroom, presumably to change clothes. He soon returned, dressed neatly to meet the guests.
This time, he did not ask Libby to accompany him, which piqued her curiosity.
“Aunt, who are these people outside that Father values so much?”
Natalia appeared to be reading the newspaper but was also pondering this question. “Be patient. You’ll know once they come in.”
“Yes.”
Outside the Gilliam family gate stood a young woman in a blue embroidered short jacket and matching pleated skirt. She was accompanied by seven or eight men in black attire. The woman appeared to be in her early twenties, with average looks but a striking figure.
Upon seeing her, Declan first scrutinized her before greeting her warmly. “You must be Miss Kiara. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Kiara glanced around, her mind racing as she smiled softly. “Mr. Gilliam, you’re too kind. It took quite an effort to find you all the way from Chulae.”
Indeed, this woman was Kiara, whom Kelvin had met in a small village on the Yocmery border. She had fled to Taswya with her employer and discovered that her family was a branch of the Cunningham family, known for their mastery of venomous insects.
After her family was destroyed, the Cunningham family took her in due to their shared bloodline. Kiara quickly gained favor with the elders through her exceptional skills and was now sent to negotiate with Declan on behalf of the Cunningham family.
“I’m sorry for any inconvenience. Please come inside.”
“Thank you.”
They entered the living room where Natalia and Libby were waiting on the sofa. Natalia was momentarily stunned upon seeing their Miao-style attire. She hadn’t seen anyone from the Cunningham family in years.
How did she recognize them so quickly? Because they all had a blue scorpion mark on their hands-this wasn’t a tattoo but a venomous insect called “Gelsemium,” which was unique to the Cunningham family. These insects had a special bond; if one member died, another could save them by giving them their blood before they took their last breath.
The insects also had hierarchical distinctions based on color: blue, red, purple, black-the darker the color, the purer the bloodline. The men had blue insects, indicating they were low-level bodyguards. Kiara’s red mark showed she held a significant position in the family.
“Who are these two?” Natalia asked with interest.
Kiara’s insect grew excited upon seeing Natalia, feeling an urge to submit to her. Kiara understood this was due to bloodline suppression; Natalia’s identity must be extraordinary.
Declan didn’t introduce them to Kiara and simply said, “They are irrelevant. Libby, help Madam upstairs to rest.”
“Yes.”
Libby assisted Natalia upstairs. In the room, Libby noticed something was off; her aunt seemed dazed since earlier as if she had seen an old acquaintance.
“Aunt, do you know those people downstairs?”
Natalia snapped out of her shock and grabbed Libby’s arm excitedly. “They are from the Cunningham family! Libby, find a way to bring them to me later. I think we finally have our chance for revenge!”
“Alright, I’ll go down now and look for an opportunity.”
“Be careful not to let Declan find out.”
“Don’t worry, Aunt.”
In a coffee shop by the window sat a striking girl lost in thought as she watched passersby. Her empty gaze and occasional sighs drew attention from those around her. While she admired the scenery outside, she became part of it herself.
Suddenly, she spotted a familiar figure across the street through the glass.
“Sam!” Startled, Pearl instinctively stood up and rushed outside. Unfortunately, a black luxury car passed by just then, and when she looked again, that familiar figure had vanished.
Disappointed, Pearl stood there and smiled bitterly. “It must be an illusion. How could he be here? Even if he were, he probably wouldn’t want to see me; after all… he hates me.”
With that thought, her courage vanished, and she walked back into the coffee shop dejectedly. Just as she was about to bump into the glass door, a hand pulled her back by the shoulder.Content © NôvelDrama.Org 2024.
Pearl spun halfway around and nearly fell into Cheyenne’s arms.
“Miss Lawrence… why are you here?”
Cheyenne raised an eyebrow and smiled as she released Pearl’s shoulder. “If it weren’t for me, you’d have a bump on your forehead by now. What were you thinking about so deeply?”