Morgan Jerome and his cabinet were in panic. He had to redeploy the security squad he had sent to Perry's hidden villa back to Avaldos City Central. The protests were growing in number, and he could not suppress the videos that exposed his and Perry's inhumane activities. More and more clips were displayed on projectors and screens everywhere, every day, and they couldn't be taken down.
Every hacker Morgan hired eventually surrendered. The moment they tried to hack into the opposing systems, their computers were infected with powerful viruses.
The mastermind behind it all was Cayden Russell—the number one hacker in the world. He had infiltrated Perry's computer, uncovered the videos, and exposed them. Now, he had infiltrated all TV stations and social media platforms, ensuring the videos played continuously for a whole week. No matter which channel or platform one opened, only the Jerome family's illegal activities were visible.
---
The panic deepened when university students began rallying. Soon, the entire country was protesting with one unified goal: justice.
Crowds demanded that evil men be punished. Some called for Morgan Jerome to be removed from the presidency and face justice. Others declared that Asienwegher Kimberly should become president, promising justice and equity.
Morgan, desperate, ordered the army to take action—shoot anyone who resisted, arrest those stirring trouble. But six hours passed, and no action came. Jerome was panicking.
Meanwhile, Derek and Cayden Russell had reached Perry's hidden villa. They surrounded it and searched everywhere. But Lilian and Perry were long gone. Not even a trace of her lingered.
The people they captured at the villa knew nothing of Perry's true hiding place. Of course, Perry would never let anyone know where he kept Lilian.
---
The twins relied on their capabilities. Perry had left by flight, which meant they couldn't trace Lilian's scent. But love was not something to underestimate.
Grounding themselves, Cayden discovered that a private jet had taken off a month and two weeks ago. He hacked into the airport terminal records, finding all flights from that day—including Perry's private jet. Though it had departed from his villa, its information was still detailed in the airport system.
Unless a plane crashed or entered a zone with no signal, its record would remain.
Soon, Cayden detected one private jet that had left that day but hadn't landed at any airport terminal. That could only mean it had landed on private property. He checked the flight duration and direction: the jet had headed east, taking three hours and fifty minutes to land.
With this information, Derek, Cayden, and their men boarded three jets filled with bodyguards, following the exact direction and time Perry's jet had taken.
---
On Perry's private island, Lilian's despair deepened. Ever since she had tried to kill herself, Perry had threatened her. He told her the only guarantee of her friend's well‑being was if she lived well. He even tried to persuade her to bear his child, promising that if she never fell in love with him, he would divorce her and let her go.
But Lilian resisted. She told him many times she would kill him.
Once, when she was confirmed six weeks pregnant, she picked up a fruit knife to stab herself. But Fred Colton walked in at that moment, quickly grabbing her hand and taking the knife away. Perry's eyes had widened, his breath stopping for a moment. When he saw the knife in Fred's hand, he collapsed and fainted.
Since then, Perry never allowed Lilian to be alone. If she was, he tied her hands. She insisted she would not bear his child.
---
To avoid accidents, Perry ordered that no maid give Lilian food with sharp objects. But he underestimated her hatred. One day, she broke a plate and stabbed herself in the neck. From then on, Perry fed her himself.
When she tried a hunger strike, Perry threatened to have doctors feed her intravenously.
Lilian had to live. She hoped Derek would save her. But her hope was slim. Would Derek really spend so much manpower to find me? she wondered. Even if he looked, could he find me? This island is more than three hours away by flight.
She laughed bitterly at herself. Why would Derek come for me—an already used rag? How much does he love me? Aren't there other women out there? Would he leave his office to search for me?
Despair consumed her. If she had a choice, she would never bear Perry's child. But if she did, she knew she could never leave her innocent child with him, to be taught his dirty ways.
---
Perry tried to make her happy, just as he had promised. He accompanied her to bask in the morning sun, as doctors suggested. But if he had something to attend to, he bound her hands.
Today was no exception. His security alarm signaled that someone had arrived on the island. Perry went to check.
But what he didn't know was that all his security systems and cameras had already been infiltrated. His villa was surrounded.
As soon as he stepped out of the room toward the security station, he was intercepted. Combat erupted. His opponent's fighting skills were superb.
While Perry fought, he realized all his henchmen were being subdued. Only then did he understand what was happening. His intuition screamed: these were Kimberly family men.
Perry cursed inwardly. That useless Avery Macdonald couldn't even manage this position for a bit longer? How useless.