Ch. 1771..1780

Chapter 1771 First Love

"Send some more men over,” ordered Sean softly. “Mr. Lindberg seems to care a lot about this girl.” “Maybe it's because he wants to get back at her for the kiss?” asked Gordon while smiling.

“That's one of the reasons,” replied Sean. He shot a look at Francesca’s room before lowering his voice and saying, “My guess is that she is the person Mr. Lindberg has been looking for...”

"Wait, are you saying that she's Mr. Lindberg's aunt's daughter?” asked Gordon as his eyes bulged in surprise.

“No, I think she’s the other one.”

“Ah, I see...”

Back in the room, Danrique leaned against the sofa lazily and rested his head on one hand. He had a pocket watch in his other hand, and in there was a photo of a young woman in her teens.

She was a little thin and had long, dark hair. Her innocent eyes shone brightly while a cheerful smile lit up her face.

That photo was from seven years ago. Danrique was in trouble at the time when he met her. To him, she was his angel and also his first love.

Back then, he was being chased by assassins and was gravely wounded. She was the one who rescued him.

Running from their assailants, they dashed into a photo booth to hide. She got curious and took the photo that had since been placed inside Danrique’s pocket watch.

Danrique had kept that pocket watch and that photo with him for seven years

When he first met the woman at Casino Inferno, he thought she looked familiar, but he couldn't quite put a finger on it.

He had been thinking about her for the past few days and realized that she might be the girl in the photo.

It had been seven years, so naturally, she had grown up and looked different. That being said, the woman's facial features and her bright eyes were rather similar to that of the girl in the photo.

Not to mention that arrogant and unrestrained style is a perfect match as well.

The only problem was that the woman had make-up on that day, so he couldn't be sure if she and the girl in the photo were one and the same.

Danrique hadn't just been searching for his Aunt Isabella's daughter all these years. He had been looking for the girl in the photo as well.

Problem was that he knew nothing about her, except that she was an expert in medicine. Since there was virtually no clue to go on, it was extremely difficult to locate her.

The silver lining was that he left her a token of his love. If the woman had that item with her, then it would prove that she and the girl are one and the same.

“Mr. Lindberg, I have some news to report,” said Gordon after he knocked on the door.

"Come in," replied Danrique while putting his pocket watch away.

Gordon entered the room and had his head down as he made his report. “I've searched every inch of Casino Inferno, but the woman's identity cards are nowhere to be found. The employees there said they bought her from a bunch of human traffickers.

"When I found those human traffickers, they said they found her on the beach.

"She was already wounded at the time, and her wounds suggested that she might be connected to the yacht explosion from some time ago.”

“Figure out who owned that yacht. I want all the details,” said Danrique.

"We've already started working on that,” replied Gordon. “My men are looking for the place the woman went after she fled. We actually found the car she stole earlier, but the owner is scared witless and knows nothing.”

"Call the local police forces to gain access to the surveillance camera,” ordered Danrique immediately.

“I've already called them. It might take some time..."

“Then head over there in person. Right. This. Instant!” demanded Danrique as he frowned angrily. “Understood,” replied Gordon. He ran out to work on the task right away. Getting in the elevator, he saw Francesca rushing over to get in as well.

“Hold the door!"

One of the subordinates pressed the button right away to wait for her.

“Dr. Felch, where are you going?”

Gordon didn't feel right calling her Master Felch, so he had been addressing her as Dr. Felch instead.

“I have some errands to run. What about you guys?” asked Francesca. She was wearing a baseball cap and a black mask. Coupled with the casual outfit she was dressed in, she looked just like a guy. "We're heading out to run some errands as well,” answered Gordon with a smile. “Should we prep a car for you?”

“No, but thank you for offering,” replied Francesca politely.

The elevator door opened, and Francesca strode out of there. Behind her, Gordon lowered his voice and instructed, “I'll drop by the police station. You boys go back to Casino Inferno. See if we missed anything. Maybe you'll end up finding clues about the woman.”

“Understood.”

 

Chapter 1772 Give It Up

Francesca frowned when she overheard that. D*mn, they still haven't given up on searching for me, huh? I bet they'll feel really stupid if they ever find out that the woman they're looking for is right beside them. That being said... I can't believe how petty that guy is. All I did was use him a little to escape that stupid place. I didn't even hurt him. Must he keep chasing me like that? Urgh! What do I do now?

Francesca knew that if she went to Casino Inferno again and bumped into those men, they would most likely recognize her.

She thought long and hard before she hailed a cab to go to a crowded street where stalls were abundant. There, she bought a mini-skirt and put on a wig and some make-up. She slipped back to Casino Inferno after that.

She stashed her other outfit in a backpack so that it would be easier for her to change back into it. The hot lady disguise she had on at the moment was completely different from the sexy woman she was a few days ago. It also differed from her usual self, so it was unlikely that the other men would recognize her.

The incident from that night didn't slow business down for Casino Inferno. It made business even better instead.

The night had just fallen, but the place was already packed.

The opening show for the night featured a blonde dancing beside a stripper pole. The men were so excited that they whistled at her and danced to the music.

Francesca snuck past the crowd and slipped backstage before making her way to the model's fitting room.

Beautiful ladies were changing their outfits and sharing juicy gossip at the time.

“Is it just me, or are there fewer auctions these days? It's all just dancing and performing.”

"Well, a few days ago, a girl from C Nation made a mess at the casino, so the owner no longer has the guts to sell random woman.”

“That makes sense. It'd be bad if another skilled fighter shows up and offends the VIPs here.” “Exactly! That woman didn't just piss the owner and the clients off. She also offended a mysterious guest. We're lucky that the guy didn’t come after us for it. If he had, Casino Inferno would be closed down.”

“You know, that woman really is something else. I was witnessing everything from the side, and my heart almost jumped out of my chest from all the excitement.”

“She is powerful. I mean, she can fight, has good instincts, and is gutsy. My gosh, she’s my idol.” “Hahaha, I look up to her too.”

Francesca listened to the others talking about her and was a little flattered to hear all that.

She was about to head over and ask them some questions when two burly bodyguards showed up with the owner. They were there to talk to the girls as well.

Francesca hid behind the closet right away and listened closely.

“She was already unconscious when we met her, and we never got to talk to her, so we don't know much about her.”

"Who helped her change her clothes that day?”

"I did, but she wasn't wearing anything unusual. She had a patient's outfit on and didn't have any accessories.”

“A patient's outfit... So, she came directly from the hospital?” asked one of the bodyguards after hearing that.

"Yes," replied the owner anxiously. “She didn’t have any papers on her when my men brought her over. That was why I felt safe auctioning her off. I never imagined that she would attack Mr. Lindberg...”

"Who brought her over from the hospital? And which hospital are we talking about here? Go get the guy over right now!”

“Yes, sir.”

The owner left with the bodyguards after that.

Francesca was going to leave when she overheard what the other two ladies whispered to one another.

"Oh, that girl is doomed. She pissed off a VIP, so she'll probably be dead soon.”

“Why didn't you tell them the truth earlier?”

"Huh?"

“I know you took something that belonged to that woman.”

“What are you talking about? When have I ever—"

"Stop pretending. I caught you stealing. Seriously, these are not the kind of people you can afford to mess with. Don't risk your life for some petty gains. It's not worth it, so just hand it over.”

The lady with a head of red hair hesitated, so her friend continued by saying, “I know you need the money, but that item isn’t worth much anyway and can't be sold. Worse still, others will find it once you sell it off. Aren't you scared that you'll die a terrible death?”

 

Chapter 1773 Stolen

“All right, that's enough. Stop scaring me.”

The lady with the red hair was frightened. She nervously retrieved a necklace from her bag and looked longingly at it before shoving it back into her bag. After that, she ran out to chase after the Lindberg family's bodyguards.

Francesca followed her immediately. She took advantage of the crowd present and bumped into that red-haired lady.

“Ah,” yelped the lady as she was almost knocked to the floor.

With her head down low, Francesca murmured an apology before rushing off.

“Hurry. Things will be bad if they leave before you catch up to them,” said the red-haired lady's friend.

The two of them ran out the doors and saw how the bodyguards were getting into their cars. The red-haired lady quickly opened her bag to retrieve the necklace, only to realize that it was gone. In its place was a stack of cash.

Her eyes bulged in surprise, and she stood there, stunned.

"What's wrong?”

“T-The necklace... it's gone.”

"What? Are you serious? Look through your bag again. Toss everything out.”

“It's not here. It's definitely gone. What do I do now? What do I do?” said the lady, who was on the verge of crying after searching her bag for a while.

"Okay, calm down. Let's go back to our fitting room and check there. If we can't find it, we'll just pretend you never stole it.”

“Marrisa, you can't tell anyone about this. If you do, they'll kill me.”

“Don’t worry. I won't. We're besties, after all.”

Listening to the ladies’ conversation from the secluded corner she was hiding in, Francesca only sighed a breath of relief when she saw them heading back in.

Good, I don't think I got them in any trouble.

She waited until everybody was gone before she fished the necklace out and examined it. The necklace had a cross as a pendant, and it looked familiar.

She was certain that it belonged to her.

She was about to put it on when she thought of something. Wait, won't this reveal my identity? I better put it away for now.

Francesca didn't think much of it and put it in her bag before she left Casino Inferno.

At the same time, the bodyguards who had left suddenly doubled back.

Turned out, Danrique had dropped by, and his men were there to protect him. He strode over. Francesca’s heart skipped a beat. I'll be in so much trouble if he recognizes me.

She had no choice but to go back into the casino.

Meanwhile, the red-haired lady and her friend were looking for Francesca.

“It has to be that lady with the long, black hair. She bumped into me earlier, and I think she must have stolen the necklace then.”

“You're right. It must be her.”

“We have to find her as quickly as possible. If those men find out what happened before we do that, they'll kill me.”

“Calm down. I'll search for the lady with you.”

It was then that Francesa realized she had gotten herself into an “out of the frying pan and into the fire” kind of situation.

She started to panic. D*mn it! what do I do now?

It took her some time, but she eventually found a small warehouse behind her. She snuck in right away.

The warehouse was filled with costumes and gadgets for the performance on stage. There were masks, laces, wings, and others.

Francesca grabbed a random red skirt and changed her wig into a blond one before putting on a black-laced mask. After that, she put all her things in another bag and strolled right out of there “That's strange. Where is she? She should be around here somewhere, right?"

“Do you think maybe she’s one of the new girls the casino hired? Maybe she overheard our conversation and knew that the necklace was priceless, so she stole it.”

“Should we ask the owner about this?”

“No, asking him about it would only expose you as the thief who stole the necklace in the first place. We should just look for it ourselves.”

"Okay."

The two ladies were so busy looking for the Aploth lady with long, black hair that they didn't even recognize Francesca when she walked right by them.

Seeing that her plan worked, Francesca sped up and was going to leave via the front door when a familiar voice sounded behind her. “Stop.”

It was Danrique.

Francesca froze and frowned. Shit.

Chapter 1774 Helped Her Out

He won't recognize me, will he?

Francesca could hear a series of footsteps and knew that Danrique was approaching her.

He walked slowly, but for some unknown reason, every step echoed with power.

Francesca couldn't help panicking a little. Did he already figure out who I am? Is he going to expose me right here and now? Will he exact his revenge immediately after?

She looked at the long corridor in front of her and instinctively clenched her fists.

What are the chances of me successfully fleeing?

“You dropped something.”

Danrique’s voice was emotionless, without a hint of warmth or hostility.

Francesca was slightly taken aback. She turned around and saw the lipstick he was holding.

That's mine.

She had bought that lipstick earlier that day because she needed it to disguise herself.

“Thank you.”

Francesca accepted the lipstick and left the scene right away.

Danrique stared at her and narrowed his eyes.

A complicated glow shone in them.

“Mr. Lindberg...”

Sean approached slowly while paying close attention to his boss.

Danrique waved his hand and issued an order.

“Understood.”

Meanwhile, Francesca had snuck into the casino, moving past the crowd before leaving the place. She wanted to be out of there as soon as possible, but a drunkard got in her way when she was in the lobby. “Hey beautiful, come and have a drink with me.”

"F*ck off!" growled Francesca angrily, planning on circling around him and leaving.

Unfortunately, the drunkard would not relent. “How dare you talk to me like that? You're nothing but a stripper, and I'm loaded.”

As he spoke, he took a stack of cash out and was about to shove them in her bra.

Fuming, Francesca kicked at the man.

Bang! The drunkard was sent flying before crashing into a table, frightening all the gamblers there. “Y-You..."

The drunkard had his hand on his stomach and was in so much pain that he wanted to cuss. Unfortunately, that same pain made it impossible for him to talk.

"Who the hell is making a ruckus here?”

It didn't take long before a group of bodyguards surrounded the place.

After the previous incident, Casino Inferno had strengthened its security, and they had since hired many skilled fighters to keep the place safe.

They likely would have never guessed that the person who made a mess back then was the same person who was currently making a scene.

Francesca frowned. All she wanted to do was to leave quickly because things would be bad if Danrique caught her there.

“How dare you assault a client? Come with me.”

Two bodyguards stepped over to take her away.

Francesca responded by breaking a bodyguard's nose before running away.

“Stop!”

The other bodyguards chased after her immediately and tried to have her surrounded.

Francesca ended up fighting them. Given her skills, it would not be a problem for her to fight a few guys simultaneously. However, there were quite a few bodyguards there, and they were more skilled than the previous ones she beat up.

To make matters worse, her injuries still hadn't recovered, so she was at a disadvantage soon after. Two bodyguards were about to apprehend her when someone sent them flying with a kick.

Bang! The loud noise came after the two bodyguards landed heavily on a table that was over ten meters away. Silence ensued as everyone was stunned by the scene.

Francesca lost her balance and almost fell, but someone with strong arms supported her shoulders before that could happen.

She turned around to see who it was and was immediately dumbfounded. Danrique!

The man tilted his head down to stare at her. Since he was thirty centimeters taller than her, he was practically looming over her.

Dazed, Francesca continued to stare at the man before her. The way he moves, the position we're in, the look on his face... why does everything feel so familiar?

“You imbeciles, back off!” roared the owner of Casino Inferno angrily. “You useless pieces of trash. How dare you idiots attack Mr. Lindberg?”

Only then did the bodyguards realize that they had offended a VIP. They quickly bowed and apologized.

Danrique had his men clear the place out and disperse the crowd after that.

Finally snapping back to her senses, Francesca lowered her head and murmured her thanks before she made to leave.

 

 

Chapter 1775 Taken

Immediately, Danrique pulled her back and stared into her eyes. “It's you?”

“No,” Francesca instinctively blurted out.

However, she regretted the moment she opened her mouth.

Danrique’s eyes widened at her voice, and he reached out his hand to remove her mask.

In response, Francesca attempted to duck, but Danrique moved faster than she did.

Before she knew it, he had ripped off her mask.

Looking at her face, Danrique froze. Although her smoky makeup made her seem almost unrecognizable, he could tell that she was the lady who held him hostage that night.

“It is you!”

Even the boss at Casino Inferno recognized her. When he saw her fighting with the bodyguards earlier, it reminded him of the lady from that day. He drew parallels from the moves she used. Flustered, Francesca hurriedly tried to escape.

Unfortunately, Danrique grabbed her backpack to stop her from leaving

The force tore open her bag, and its contents spilled all over the floor.

At that sight, Francesca quickly bent down to retrieve them.

Yet, Danrique was one step ahead of Francesca, and he managed to snatch the gold necklace from her.

As the cold metal cross slid through her fingers, Francesca screeched, “Give it back to me!”

She desperately tried to reach for the item but to no avail as Danrique extended his right arm and held it above his head to move it out of her reach.

Given their difference in height, there was no way she could reach the necklace.

“What is this?”

At that moment, Sean reached down to pick up the clothes scattered on the floor.

Afraid that it would expose her identity, Francesca frantically grabbed her clothes and fled.

"Hey, don't leave,” Sean called out, attempting to stop her. However, Danrique interrupted, “Don’t scare her.”

“Should I get our men to follow her?” Sean asked.

“It's not necessary,” Danrique muttered while eyeing the necklace he held. His gaze softened as he continued, “It's her.”

Meanwhile, Francesca ran out of Casino Inferno and hopped into a taxi.

When she finally got in the car, she pressed her hands to her chest to calm herself down. Francesca felt more confused than ever when she recalled the earlier events.

Why did Danrique help me? If he noticed that I was the one who held him hostage that night, shouldn't he be angry? Wouldn't he want to lock me up and teach me a lesson? If he wanted to punish me, he would not have given me a chance to flee. But I managed to escape, and he did nothing to stop me. Besides, why did he have to take the necklace? Is it valuable? Even so, he is evidently wealthy, given that he could easily fork out a hundred million for medical fees, so why would he be hung up on a necklace? Please don't tell me that he took it on purpose so that I would return for it. It must have a significant meaning. Perhaps, it contains clues to my identity. If so, I must take it back, though I will have to use another identity.

“Where are you heading to?” the driver asked.

"Oh, I—" Francesca finally regained her senses and randomly thought of a place. “You can drop me at the nearest public toilet.”

Annoyed, the driver rolled his eyes at her via the rearview mirror before stopping his car at a park nearby.

Then, Francesca grabbed her bag of clothes and headed for the public toilet in the middle of the park. After she washed her face and got changed, she took another taxi back to the hotel. However, the place was heavily guarded by bodyguards hired by the Lindberg family. They surrounded the area to prevent any outsiders from entering.

Initially, they even stopped Francesca at the door. Luckily, one of the security guards recognized her and subsequently allowed her in.

When she walked into the hotel, she overheard the Lindberg family’s bodyguards instructing the hotel security guards to stop any other outsiders from going into the building.

It made her more curious. Who the hell is Danrique? All this fuss makes him seem like the president. No matter where I go, there are always so many people protecting him. That being said, there are a lot of people going after him. At Casino Inferno that day, someone even planted a bomb to kill him. I should keep my distance from him. Otherwise, I may die anytime. It's best to give him the cure as soon as possible and leave after I get my hands on the money.

Once Francesca went back to her room, she carefully treated her wound. She had suffered severe injuries due to the car accident. After the ordeal she went through earlier, her wounds had split open again.

Chapter 1776 Escape

She had locked her door before she tended to her wounds.

Luckily, the Lindberg family had medical kits with them at all times.

Although it only contained essential medicine, it was still enough to deal with Francesca'’s injuries. Soon, Francesca finished cleaning her wounds. However, she suddenly felt a sharp pain at the back of her head.

Closing her eyes, she cradled her head. Enduring the pain, she popped a painkiller into her mouth. I guess I can't hold out any longer. I should undergo the surgery to get that metal out of my brain soon.

While she considered her options, she heard a flurry of footsteps outside. A subordinate politely greeted, “Mr. Lindberg.”

Hearing that, Francesca knew Danrique had arrived.

Since he took her necklace, she had to take it back before she left.

In the end, she fell asleep on the bed.

Meanwhile, in the room beside hers, Danrique received a call from Gordon. The latter reported, “Mr. Lindberg, I checked on the lady who left Casino Inferno earlier. She got into a car and headed for Maze Hospital.”

“Maze Hospital?”

As Danrique thought about it, he narrowed his eyes. That day, he had been chased down by assassins near Maze Hospital too. Then, he crashed into a tomboy, injuring her.

"Yes, I am right in front of the hospital, trying to investigate further.”

Bang! As soon as Gordon finished, Danrique heard a loud noise coming from the parking lot. Police sirens filled the air shortly after, disrupting the silent night.

“Mr. Lindberg.” At that moment, Ben frantically knocked on Danrique’s door. “There is an attack!” “Let's leave,” Danrique instructed firmly.

“Mr. Lindberg, what about me?” Gordon questioned.

“Come back here first to deal with the Mafia.”

“Yes, Mr. Lindberg,” Gordon acknowledged.

After putting on his jacket and grabbing his gun, Danrique left the room. A large group of bodyguards surrounded him as they hurriedly headed to the back door.

"What's wrong?”

Francesca walked out of her room barefooted, still in her pajamas. Despite so, she did not forget to put on her mask. Staring at the chaotic scene before her, she widened her eyes in confusion. "Someone launched an attack. We have to leave now,” Sean stated before grabbing Francesca’s hand to drag her along with them.

“Wait a moment. I forgot to put on my shoes.”

Without sparing a look at her, Sean insisted, “We don't have time for that.”

Amid the chaos, Francesca followed the men out of the hotel, who then shoved her into a car parked outside.

Looking at the roaring flames, Francesca could not help but frown. “Who the hell are you? Why are there people chasing after you no matter where you go? Isn't it dangerous for whoever follows you?"

“Shut up!” Danrique growled.

ow

Francesca wanted to continue but was interrupted by a dozen jeeps surrounding them. They drew down their windows and started firing shots at their car.

Without a choice, Ben quickly drove the car and sped toward the back door.

At the same time, a few of their bodyguards guarding outside also tried to stop the attackers.

In the end, they shook off all but two of the jeeps.

However, besides Francesca, there were only three other people in the car—Danrique, Sean, and Ben in the driver's seat.

Things were not looking good for them as they were outnumbered by their enemies.

Sean held onto his gun in preparation for any attack.

On the other hand, Danrique seemed unusually calm. He glanced outside before ordering Ben, “Turn to the right. Speed up and hit them!”

"Okay!"

Given the circumstances, Francesca did not dare to speak anymore. Her heart pounded as she prayed to get to safety as soon as possible.

It did not take long for the car to leave the hotel and continue its journey on the road

Despite so, another modified vehicle in black continued to chase after them while aiming to shoot their tires.

“I guess the pastor wants you dead, seeing how he collaborated with the Mafia to come after you,” Sean seethed.

"Obviously! I offended him big time, so why would he let me off?" Danrique still looked composed as he spoke, “We are in their territory, and there is no need for us to face them head-on. After we sign the contract tomorrow, we shall retaliate.”

“Yes, Mr. Lindberg!”

 

Chapter 1777 1 Can

Ben gripped the steering wheel tightly and floored the accelerator, hoping to dodge the attacks. Unfortunately, the Mafia continued to follow them.

When their car reached the highway, a convoy suddenly appeared. It formed a line before their car and attempted to intercept them.

“They sent so many people to ambush us!”

Sean anxiously dialed Gordon's number to ask for backup.

“Mr. Lindberg...” Ben broke out in cold sweat.

"Hit them!” Danrique decisively ordered.

Unexpectedly, Francesca said the same thing at the same time.

“But if we hit them, we—"

“Get out of my way!"

Frowning, Danrique was about to climb into the driver's seat. Yet, someone else beat him to it. "What are you doing?”

Since Ben did not react, Francesca pushed him away and squeezed into the front seat.

Given her petite size, it was not difficult for her to take over the driver's seat. On the other hand, Ben was forced to press himself against Sean's body.

“Move aside now. It isn't a game,” Sean yelled at Francesca.

“You don’t know what you are dealing with!"

Danrique frowned and wanted to pull Francesca away.

At that moment, the car sped up, and its front wheels lifted from the ground. With that, the vehicle balanced on its hind wheels as it raced forward.

"Ah!" Ben could not help but shriek.

Even Sean widened his eyes as he watched the scene unfold in disbelief.

Danrique was slightly alarmed, and he looked at the lady in the driver's seat with an unfathomable expression.

Outside, the people in the convoy was at a loss

They thought they could stop Danrique if they formed a line to block his car. Little did they expect that the vehicle would speed up and head for them like a wrecking ball.

Boom!

Before they knew it, the silver Maybach landed on the ground swiftly after breaking through the barrier and spun around, as though Danrique and the rest were declaring their victory to them. With a smirk, Francesca stuck out her thumb at their pursuers and turned it downwards before she sped off.

The convoy wanted to continue their chase. However, they had to turn their cars around first. By the time they did that, the Maybach was already out of their sight.

It was as though the Maybach traveled at the speed of light as it disappeared silently into the night. Soon, they shook off their pursuers.

Minutes had passed, but Ben was still staring at Francesca in shock.

Sean was also in disbelief. “W-Who the heck are you?”

It was the same question on Danrique’s mind too.

“I don't know either,” Francesca casually answered. “If you know anything about my background, remember to tell me.”

“Huh?” Ben gave her a puzzled look.

“I almost forgot you lost your memories.”

After Sean managed to regain his composure, he climbed into the backseat.

“I'm impressed by your driving skills,” Danrique finally spoke. He sounded calm and emotionless. There was only a slight change in his gaze when he looked at Francesca.

“It's all right.” Then, Francesca narrowed her eyes and glanced at the rearview mirror. “Ugh, they are back!”

Instantly, Sean and Ben held up their guns and prepared to shoot.

At the same time, Francesca stepped on the accelerator and prepared to shake them off when she noticed oil leaking from the hind wheels.

Their car probably got shot during the pursuit. Luckily, it was a good car, and it could still hold up temporarily. Given the urgency earlier, they did not notice it.

However, now that the oil tank was leaking, it was unlikely that they could travel for a long distance. Francesca made a quick decision and started to drive up the mountain.

“What are you trying to do?” Sean questioned.

“There are only a few of us, and two of our wheels are down. Do you think we can get rid of them on the highway?”

“If we can't escape from them on the highway, how would we do that on a mountain?” Ben was more confused than ever.

"We can do it.” Confidently, Francesca continued to explain, “They have yet to complete the construction of the road on this mountain, and there are no lights here. If I turn off our headlights, they will find it hard to follow us.”

“If you turn off the headlights, how will you drive?” Sean cautiously pointed out.

“You can't do it, but I can.”

 

Chapter 1778 A Pack Of Wolves

Francesca swiftly switched off the headlights and sped up the road to the mountain.

It seemed like she had night vision that could see the road ahead in the dark.

Although it was a narrow path, she could still control the steering wheel well enough that they did not veer off course.

Admittedly, Sean was impressed, and Ben also watched her with admiration.

On the other hand, Danrique observed her calmly and asked casually, “There is only one way up the mountain. Even if you turn off the headlights, they will follow us up the same route. In the end, they will catch up with us too.”

"Wait, so we can only go up and down this mountain using one road?” Sean asked in a panic.

“Yes.” Francesca nodded. “That's why we're not taking the usual route.”

As she spoke, she swerved the car into a forest.

"Hey, what are you doing?” Sean raised his voice. “The forest is full of trees. We will not be able to drive far before we come to a stop.”

"Well, it's better to stop here than to meet them on the road.” With a grin, Francesca stated, “They will never realize that we drove into the forest.”

"But—"

Sean wanted to protest, but Danrique raised his hand to stop him.

While driving through the woods, Francesca crushed the bushes and flowers on the forest floor. She could even drive the car through the small gaps between the trees.

She was quick on her feet and could estimate the distance between the trees. Judging from the width of the space, she masterfully weaved through the trees.

Like that, she managed to drive a long way from the main road.

She finally pulled the car to a stop when she could no longer drive between the trees.

It was not long before they heard several cars driving up the mountain and passing them.

In the silent night, one could hear those engines clearly on the empty mountain.

Ecstatic, Ben exclaimed, “Since they are driving up the mountain, I don’t think they would come for us here. Should we wait for them to move further from us before we get off the mountain?”

“I think they will have men guarding at the foot of the mountain,” Sean commented.

“Yes,” Francesca agreed. “Therefore, we have to find another path to leave.”

“I—" Sean shifted his gaze to Danrique.

However, Danrique did not oppose Francesca’s suggestion. Instead, he stared at her blankly. “This is a forest. Aren't you scared of poisonous snakes lurking around here?”

"Why should I be afraid when none of you are?”

To Francesca, women and men were equals.

The four of them then pushed open the doors and prepared to leave.

Noticing that Francesca was barefooted, Sean reminded, “The ground is uneven with plenty of stones and debris. It's easy for you to get hurt without shoes.”

“It's all right. I'm used to walking on such roads,” Francesca retorted before skipping deeper into the woods.

Although she lost her memory, some things still came naturally to her.

A riot of emotions brewed in Danrique’s eyes as he watched her walk away happily.

The lady in his memory was no different. She would walk into the woods barefooted too.

Although she looked thin and vulnerable from behind, she seemed like a butterfly dancing in the air as she hopped around.

Besides, the lady was also medically skilled, and to Danrique, they shared plenty of similarities.

The only difference was their appearance. Danrique remembered how beautiful the lady was, and she was nothing like the tomboy before him.

Shaking those thoughts away, Danrique quickly started walking forward

Meanwhile, Sean quietly followed behind him. What's wrong with Mr. Lindberg tonight? He usually takes control of the situation around him. Yet, he allowed that crazy woman to run amok.

“What is that?”

Suddenly, Ben stopped in his tracks and pointed at something in front of him.

“It's a wolf!” Sean replied.

“No.” Francesca slowly added, “It's a pack of wolves.”

 

Chapter 1779 Amazing

Ben turned to scan the area again and spotted several pairs of green eyes.

Terrified, his face turned pale, and he frantically whipped out his gun as he jumped before Danrique and exclaimed, “Mr. Lindberg, you should leave first!”

Francesca could not help but scoff at how Danrique still required a young bodyguard to protect him.

"Aren“t you scared?” Unfazed, Danrique studied Francesca's reaction.

"What is there to be scared of?" Francesca looked at the pack of wolves like she was part of them. “We are all living things.”

Slowly, the wolves approached them. With green eyes glowing in the dark, they exuded a murderous aura.

Ben held onto his gun and stated, “Mr. Lindberg, you should leave with Dr. Felch.”

“No need for that.” Danrique shrugged. “I can take the time to try—"

Before he could finish his sentence, Francesca had started walking toward the wolves.

"Hey, what are you doing?” Ben shouted in alarm.

However, Francesca showed no signs of slowing down. She continued to walk forward, closing the gap between those ferocious animals and herself.

Gritting her teeth, she raised her chin and let out a low growl.

Immediately, those wolves turned their attention to her. They looked intimidated as they stopped in their tracks. Even the murderous look in their eyes had dissipated.

Even so, Francesca continued to walk to them. In response, the pack of wolves slowly retreated before they turned to run off.

Taken aback by her actions, Ben fervently rubbed his eyes in disbelief.

Sean was equally shocked. Seeing how the wolves scampered away, he stared at Francesca before turning to Danrique. “Mr. Lindberg...”

Once again, Danrique narrowed his eyes with an unreadable expression.

He spent over ten years trying to tame wild animals and only barely managed to communicate with them recently. However, those creatures were domesticated. He tried to tame a poisonous snake on one occasion and accidentally injured himself.

The pack of wolves gave him the perfect opportunity to try out his skills and test whether he could communicate with them. Little did he expect that Francesca had beaten him to it.

How did she manage to chase them away?

Danrique pondered.

At this point, he became more convinced that this woman was not a simple person.

"Okay, it's all right now.” Francesca clapped her hands and uttered, “Let's go!”

“Master Felch!” The young bodyguard tried to catch up with her. Filled with respect for her, he probed, “How did you do that?”

“I don't know either.” Francesca casually used a stick to clear the path before them. “I thought they looked familiar to me. It felt like they were my distant relatives.”

“What? Your distant relatives?”

"Yes. They aren't local wolves!”

“Pfft!” Sean could not help but burst out laughing. “Master Felch, you are a joker!”

Trailing behind her, Danrique kept stealing glances at Francesca. He could not help but wonder if she would fear other wild beasts.

“Ah!”

Suddenly, Francesca screamed and jumped up in fear. In seconds, she climbed up a tree like a monkey and clung to the trunk for her life.

“What's wrong?” the bodyguard asked anxiously.

“There is a rat!” Francesca cried.

“Oh?”

All three men were puzzled as they could not believe that she was scared of rats but not wolves. Hearing the distress in her voice, Ben and Sean stomped on several rats and kicked them away. The two of them were busy getting rid of the rats when Danrique widened his eyes and stared at Francesca's head. “Don't move!”

“What?” Francesca froze and stared back at him

“Uh...”

The other two men turned around to look at what had happened too. The moment they did that, their faces turned pale, and they instinctively pulled out their guns and pointed them above her head.

Right then, Francesca looked up cautiously. It turned out that there was a python thicker than her arm coiled around the thick tree trunk, hissing from time to time as it approached her slowly. “Master Felch, don't move!” Sean called out and prepared to shoot.

But Danrique quickly stopped him because Francesca had already reached out her hand to pet the snake. She gently stroked its scales and cooed, “Be good.”

 

Chapter 1780 First To Leave

Sean and the bodyguards were stunned.

They couldn't believe Francesca neither feared the pack of wolves nor the python.

After she let out a strange sound, the python slithered down from the tree.

Terrified by its approach, the bodyguards jumped back. However, the python didn't attack them. Instead, it cleared out all the rats in front before gradually disappearing again.

After heaving a sigh of relief, Francesca jumped down from the tree. Unexpectedly, she stepped on a rock and cut herself, causing a sharp pain to shoot through her leg and blood to ooze out of the wound.

“Argh!” she screamed before collapsing into Danrique’s arms.

As he looked at her with a frown, his eyes were devoid of warmth. After pushing her aside emotionlessly, he ordered his bodyguard, “Give her your shoes.”

“Right away.” The bodyguard took off his shoes and put them in front of Francesca.

“There's no need—"

“Put them on!"

Just when Francesca wanted to refuse, Danrique barked, “I don’t want to be stuck here until dawn.” With that, he continued walking ahead with Sean following closely behind.

“Master Felch, please put them on quickly,” the bodyguard carefully suggested. “Or else, shall I carry you on my back?”

“It's fine.”

Given that Francesca wanted to leave the place as soon as possible, she put on the shoes as instructed.

As the shoes were too big relative to the size of her feet, she felt like a child wearing adult shoes without permission. The only way she could walk was by dragging them around as if they were slippers.

“Be careful!” While escorting Francesca, the bodyguard was filled with admiration for her. “Master Felch, my name is Sloan. If there's anything you need, just go ahead and tell me.”

"Haha, alright.”

After replying with a smile, Francesca hurried after Danrique.

He walked so quickly that she was forced to run just to catch up.

Given how late it was, the forest began to fill with sounds of all sorts of animals.

Sean reminded, “Hurry up, or else we'll lose you.”

"Yes, sir.” Sloan followed behind closely.

Due to Francesca’s small frame and the fact that she was wearing oversized shoes, she couldn't move fast and kept falling behind. Whenever she did so, Sloan would stop to wait for her. Meanwhile, Danrique didn't slow down, as if he didn't care about her well-being at all.

As for Sean, he continued to stick close to Danrique.

Staring at their backs, Francesca scowled, “You ungrateful jerks! Have you forgotten how I saved you just now?”

“Mr. Lindberg just wants to leave this place as quickly as possible. Why don't I carry you instead?” Having traveled for a while, Sloan's feet were filled with cuts and bruises from walking barefooted. Nonetheless, he didn't feel any pain at all while he continued to protect Francesca.

"Good idea.” Francesca returned his shoes to him. “That way, you won't get hurt anymore.”

After putting on his shoes, Sloan carried Francesca on his back and quickly caught up with Danrique and Sean.

When Sean glanced at them, he didn't say a word as he picked up his pace behind Danrique. Suddenly, the latter stopped in his tracks and gestured for everyone to be silent.

Halting at his signal, Sean and Sloan didn't even dare breathe.

Francesca scanned the surroundings and commented, “They have caught up with us.”

“From the sound of the footsteps, there aren't many of them.” With furrowed brows, Danrique ordered, “Let's split up and move.”

“Mr. Lindberg, Sloan and I will distract them, while you leave together with Dr. Felch,” Sean suggested.

“Exactly.” Sloan put Francesca down.

"Will the two of you be fine?” She was unsettled. “Since you don't know how to summon beasts and have limited bullets left, you'll be in danger when attacked.”

“Our lives belong to Mr. Lindberg. In life and death situations, his safety is all that matters.” Sean was resolute in his reply.

“That's right—"

“Shut up!” Danrique interrupted them and made a decisive decision. “Both of you should go on ahead. Stay on the east side and you can make your way down the hill.”

“Mr. Lindberg...”

Just when Sean wanted to remonstrate, Danrique added, “Only by leaving the hill will your GPS tracker send a signal.”

At that moment, Sean realized that was the only way Gordon could pick up their signal and lead the main group to their rescue.