“Demelza, you take the ride.” Archer picked Edith up and carried her out of the main door, ignoring the rest of the chaos along the way.
Demelza immediately moved first. “Yes, General.” She cleared the way to the car park and opened the back door for Archer.
Archer placed his sister carefully against it. Now that he was watching her face, he sighed heavily, realizing how messed up Edith was. “They are mindless humans,” he said.
His friendship with them initially had no issues. Everything was fine. He had even thought he could entrust his family to them while he was away, but that was the most fatal mistake. He entrusted his family to those who plotted to destroy him.
Archer's hand gently rubbed Edith's head and then kissed her forehead. His feelings were filled with deep regret and guilt. “Drive the car to Mugwort Street in the South.” He mentioned the address where he lived and that he was planning to take Edith home.
Demelza looked at him from the monitoring mirror in the center, looked back, and nodded her head. She saw Archer, who then went back to check on his sister's condition by continuing to stroke her head gently. Then she saw that Edith was starting to wake up. She moved her head and slowly blinked her eyes.
“It's okay, just lean back first.” Archer tried to put Edith's body in the most comfortable position possible. Then he swiftly took the mineral water bottle Demlza gave as soon as she knew Edith was awake. “Are you fully awake?” He opened the bottle and held it to give it to Edith.
Edith nodded her head weakly. Only after she answered did Archer help her gulp down the water from the bottle he was holding. She gulped down the water with great thirst. It was the first time all day that her throat had tasted water and felt refreshed. After finishing more than half of it, she gave it back to Archer, who had been watching her with concern.
Archer took it, closed it again, and put it to the side that was easy to reach. Then he refocused on Edith. “Do you still remember what you said to me earlier, before you lost consciousness?”
Edith wiped her lips with her hand while looking at Archer intently. She nodded her head again. “Yes, I remember it. About Callie Wood.”
Archer nodded his head. “Are you serious about her giving birth to my child? Where are you sure about that.”
As Archer remembered that night, he only had s*x with Callie that one time. It was a mistake because he wasn't even in a sober state, but he vaguely remembered what happened, and they hadn't seen each other since then. He didn't want to deny it. He was just worried that there was some misunderstanding about what had happened.
But Edith confidently nodded her head. “They are yours. Callie didn't hook up with any man after that day, Archer.”
Archer took a deep breath. Five years had passed with him on the battlefield, and now he was back hearing so much heart-breaking news. Of course, there was happiness to hear that he became a father of two children, but at the same time, he questioned many things that he had missed in their lives. ‘Then how are they doing now?’
Edith looked puzzled. She averted her eyes. “When her family discovered her pregnancy, she was urged to compensate our family for what you did to her, but Callie refused. Her refusal made her family angry and threw her out of the house.”
She paused the story, which even seemed to be stressing her out just by retelling it. She reached for the water bottle again, took another drink, and held the bottle. “Callie then lived in a horrible state after they kicked her out, especially after she found out that you disappeared with nowhere to be contacted all those years ago.”
“Then what did Mum and Dad do about her situation?” Archer furrowed his brow. If Callie was indeed carrying his child, their parents shouldn't have left her alone.
Edith gave him a rather heated look. “I tried to see her at that time. I offered to help her. But Callie adamantly refused. We only learned about it a few years ago, and our family's situation went downhill. The stock price went down, and there was pressure from four other big families who wanted to take over. You think everything is easy to handle, Archer?” Edith lost her breath as she spoke until she was gasping for air.
Archer was silent. He released his breath heavily while covering his face. “I didn't say it was easy. I'm sorry.” Archer was having a tough dilemma. He felt like he had been thrown in the dirt after knowing his sacrifices on the frontline meant nothing to his own family. “Now we need to find her. We need to take her with us. Do you know where she is?” He turned to Edith.
Meanwhile, at the Moore residence, which was still occupied by several servants and butlers who looked limp and covered in wounds after facing Edith's abduction and trying to dissuade them but failing this time, those who had endured a long night were again visited by a large crowd.
“Adam? What are you doing with these people?” Benjamin, the butler of the Moore family, stopped Adam, who was an accomplice of Mr Jasper Moore, Archer's father.
Adam was Jasper's trustworthy man whom he had dishonorably dismissed for smuggling behind his back. Adam did not accept that, and for all these years, he has held a grudge against the Moore family. He realized he could not immediately avenge himself on the family until waiting for the right time to come to him, like today.
Adam smiled at him. “Long time no see Benjamin, you look so messed up.” He shook his head and touched the fresh-looking wound on Benjamine's face.
Benjamin dismissed his hand coldly. “You better get out of this place right now.” He warned Adam, knowing that Adam had bad intentions with the number of people he brought armed with blocks, sticks, and other bats.
“What's more, I heard that this family has fallen. So I came to take what I could from them. Let's say it's payback for their disrespect towards me.” He fiddled with the golf swing while giving Benjamin a sharp look.
Ben shook his head, stunned. “This family is still not ruined, Ad, so you had better go back and bring your people from this place.” He stood there firmly in the way.
Adam snorted with laughter at the sight. “What are you doing, Ben? Don't be stupid. Get out of the way, or join us. There's nothing more you can expect from this family.” He tried to persuade.
But Ben remained firm. “I vowed with my life that I would serve this family, and that won't change.”
His words upset Adam, who kicked his foot right into Ben's stomach. ‘Then die after them.’
Ben's body was thrown quite a distance. He, who was already not in a fit condition, certainly had problems when facing violence again, and this time at a vital point that made him hurt like hell. Ben stayed in the corner cowering while Adam, laughing at him, moved in with the others to loot the house.
“Find anything valuable in the house and take it. Leave nothing behind!” He ordered them.
As everyone spread out and reported to him that they had pretty much found a lot of valuable things, he smiled happily. While he was still downstairs, re-entering the house after so many years made him remember what he had received from them. His anger returned, and his vengeance came out. He swung his golf and destroyed what was not very valuable there. “You guys don't deserve to live!” He shouted as he smashed it.
Hearing the commotion, Ben trudged inside, clutching his aching stomach. Just then, he saw Adam spilling liquid from the bottle he'd brought, pulling out a lighter.
“Ad! What are you doing?” He said frantically and tried to get closer.
Adam saw him and pushed him back, knocking him to the ground. “I want to burn it, make everything about this family disappear.” He spoke with his eyes blazing in front of Ben.
Ben panicked and knelt in front of Adam. “Please don't do it. Take what you can, but don't burn this place down." He pleaded sincerely and begged at his feet.