Ch. 2171..2180

Chapter 2171 The Hope Of Life

Those officers asked her to show her identification document. Francesca said directly, “My identification document has been taken away by Mr. Faulkner. He said that His Highness has been suffering from heart-wrenching pain in his waist and now has a recurring high fever.

His Majesty is worried about His Highness, so I was asked to hurry over. Mr. Faulkner will arrive soon.” “That's right. His Highness is indeed having those symptoms now,” a senior officer hurriedly remarked.

After hearing Francesca mention Silas’ name and correctly identifying the symptoms, those guards no longer stopped her and let her in.

As such, Francesca carried the medical kit with her and entered the place, followed by the senior officer.

On their way to their destination, the senior officer couldn't help but sigh. “Alas, how desolate for a dignified prince like him to suffer like this.”

"When I checked on His Highness last time, he was still able to sit, and his waist was just fine. How did things turn out like this?” Francesca asked in a hushed tone.

"God knows.” The senior officer shook his head and heaved a sigh again. “Probably only they themselves know the hidden truth behind this.” “Are you Mr. Faulkner's subordinate?”

Seeing that the senior officer was full of sympathy for William, Francesca figured that the officer was not a subordinate of William's cousins.

“Yes.” The senior officer nodded. “Mr. Faulkner sent me here to take care of His Highness, but His Highness’ condition has become increasingly serious since the onset of the disease. Now, His Highness is paralyzed in bed, and the doctors in the hospital can’t do anything about it. Besides that, he refuses to eat or drink anything. It seems that he has lost confidence in life. His Majesty was afraid that something bad would happen to him, so His Majesty invited a doctor from outside to check on His Highness. Alas, I think you are too young, so you probably have little experience. I guess His Majesty's just putting on a show...”

The senior officer whispered that last sentence, afraid that somebody else might overhear it, but Francesca still heard it clearly.

No wonder... Even an old servant has his heart go out to William. William's current fate is indeed pitiful... I guess King Federico actually knows how William became like this, but he didn't protect William or even hold the culprit accountable. He merely sent people to bring William to the hospital to sustain his life. On the surface, it looks as though he still cares about William, but in fact, he just wants to leave a positive impression by acting loving and kind... The truth is, he doesn't care about William at all. William probably knows this as well, so he’s lost all hope in life and given up on trying to survive. If I were to arrive a few days later, I'm afraid I really won't be able to see him anymore. Francesca couldn't help but feel guilty as the thought crossed her mind

The two walked through a tree-lined path and soon came to a small building.

There were soldiers guarding every inch of the place, making it appear to be heavily guarded. They might look as though they were protecting William, but in fact, they were actually monitoring him. Francesca followed the senior officer to the outside of the ward and was about to enter when there was a loud bang, followed by William's weak voice yelling, “Get out!”

He didn't want to see anyone, nor did he intend to eat. He simply didn’t want to live anymore as he had given up on himself.

The maid didn't persuade him either. She just packed up and left silently.

Sighing, the senior officer pushed open the door and went in. “Your Highness, you can't continue being like this. You're still young...”

"Get out. All of you get out...”

William was about to lose his temper, but when he saw Francesca, he was stunned.

“Your Highness, this is the doctor that His Majesty has hired for you. I heard that treating your condition with traditional medicine is very effective. Since His Majesty specifically asked for her to come, you must cooperate with the treatment...” the senior officer advised sincerely and earnestly. “All right. All of you should leave the room. I want to give His Highness an acupuncture session.” Francesca came forward with a medical kit. She checked on William first, then started the acupuncture session for him.

William gazed at her as waves of emotions washed over him. At that very moment, Francesca was the only hope in his life...

q

Chapter 2172 In Danger

Seeing that William didn't resist the treatment this time and even cooperated very well, the senior officer couldn't help but feel very surprised. He quickly dismissed the other nurses and stood at the side to watch Francesca performing acupuncture on William.

About half an hour later, Francesca was done inserting the needles and turned back to speak to the senior officer. “I need His Highness’ medical reports and some medications. Please help me to prepare those things.”

“You can write the prescription, and I'll get someone else to prepare them right away.” The senior officer was on cloud nine. “You seem to have some skills. I'll be sure to inform Mr. Faulkner for him to reward you handsomely.”

“Thank you.” Francesca simply wrote a prescription and handed it to the senior officer.

The senior officer took it to the door and told his subordinates to prepare it, but he had no intention of leaving.

Francesca exchanged a meaningful look with William.

William then opened his mouth and said, “Marcus, I'm hungry.”

“Huh?” The senior officer, Marcus, was stunned for a moment, then couldn't help but be overjoyed. “Your Highness, are you finally willing to eat? That's great! I'll ask them to prepare the food right away.”

“I want to eat food from outside.” William's voice was weak and hoarse, with a hint of sadness. “The food in this hospital is inedible.”

Marcus let out a sigh. “I'm sorry to hear that, Your Highness. I'll ask someone to buy food from outside.”

"You should go and get it yourself to prevent those guards from knowing about this. It might bring unnecessary trouble,” William pleaded. “I'm sorry to trouble you. If I can survive, I will definitely repay your kindness in the future!”

“Your Highness, don't say so...” Pity was written all over Marcus’ face as he looked at William. “As a prince, you should have been living a life of abundance...” Halfway through his words, he sighed deeply and changed what he was about to say. “I'll go and prepare it for you.”

As he spoke, he left in a hurry, but as he walked out of the room, he cautiously told the people outside, “Watch the surroundings carefully. Don't let anything happen.”

“Understood!”

The door was closed, and only William and Francesca were left in the room.

She hurriedly locked the door and asked William in a low voice, “William, how did you become like this?”

“They poisoned me.” After replying to her, William quickly inquired, “Francesca, did you come here alone? Or with L?"

“I came with Monica.” Francesca felt a little ashamed. “I couldn't convince Danrique, and he refused to come...”

“I had expected that.” William wore a bitter smile. Right after that, he continued urgently, “Since he won't come, you shouldn't be involved in this matter anymore. Hurry up and get away from this place. It's very dangerous here.”

“No, I want to bring you out of here.” Francesca helped William to get up.

"Don't be foolish.” He quickly stopped her. “You can't save me. There are guards everywhere outside, and we can't get out at all. Even if we somehow escape the hospital, we won't be able to leave Danontand.”

"What should we do then?” Francesca was getting anxious. “We can't just wait for our death here.” "Federico won't let me die for the time being.” William sneered, “Danontand’s finances are tight. My company's assets can help him a lot, so isn't he trying to save me now?”

“Uh...” It was only then comprehension dawned on her. “Federico is really saving you?”

"Of course.” William chuckled self-deprecatingly. “Otherwise, why would he send me to the hospital? He doesn't want me to get better, but he doesn’t want me to die either, so my current half-dead state is perfect for him.”

“What now?” Francesca couldn't figure out the complicated situation and relationships between them. She asked, “Should I save Robin and the others first?”

"What happened to Robin and the others?” William asked, feeling concerned.

“You don’t know yet?” Francesca was dumbfounded for a moment before sighing. “That's right. You've been locked up in here and lost contact with the outside world for a long time, so it's normal that you're unaware of what happened.”

“So what happened?” he asked anxiously.

“William Castle has been sealed off, and no one can enter or leave the castle. Furthermore, no food and water is allowed to be delivered to the people inside, and their water and electricity have been cut off. The eighty-over people in your castle are currently in a very dangerous situation...”

q

Chapter 2173 Dignity

Hearing those words, William was in shock. “What did you say? How could that happen?”

“Maybe they sealed off the castle in the name of holding an investigation.” Francesca said in a low voice, “I don't know the specifics either, as Monica was the one who got the news.”

William was instantly riled up by the words. “It seems that His Majesty has entrusted the investigation to those b*stards. He knows that they want to kill me, yet he still put them in charge of this!”

“Now is not the time to talk about this. You need to make a decision now. Should I rescue you or not?” Francesca glanced at her watch. “I've been in here for more than forty minutes. If I delay any longer, I'm afraid that someone will find out...”

He quickly calmed down and replied, “I can’t go out. If I do, they'll be in an even more dangerous situation.”

“What should we do now?”

She glanced out the window and noticed several guards rushing over. Knowing they must have discovered something, she hurriedly urged, “Quick! They're coming.”

“Frannie, go and find Robin with Monica. He knows what to do,” William uttered immediately. “If you have to choose between me and them, save them first!”

“Okay.” Without further ado, Francesca took the medical kit and leaped out of the window.

Just as she left, those guards kicked open the door to William's room in the next second, pointing their guns inside. Seeing that no one else was there, they swiftly began to search around.

With an emotionless expression, William lay on the bed in silence.

The guards didn't find the person they were looking for, so they went to the window to check again, but Francesca was long gone. They failed to notice any traces as well. Thus, they could only leave in a huff.

During the whole process, they didn't even spare William a glance. It was as though he was deceased.

At that moment, Marcus returned as well. After being informed that the doctor was a fake, he was startled and hurriedly pushed open the door to check, only to see William still lying on the bed intact. Marcus was relieved.

The guards told the senior officer a few words, then left.

Meanwhile, William lay on the hospital bed, staring at the ceiling with a cold, menacing look in his eyes.

Now even the guards don't take me seriously, and my dignity is not worth mentioning at all. The king knows that those people want to kill me, yet he still asked them to seal off my castle in the name of investigating the poisoning incident, completely disregarding the lives of the people inside the castle. As for myself, I'm forced to stay here in this pathetic state, all for the king's reputation. William felt that he was too naive in the past, believing that Federico had a trace of affection for him and thinking that as long as he became more and more outstanding and had enough trump cards, he could bring those people down.

It was only now William understood that Federico stood on the same side as those people. There was no way the king would punish them for him, the discarded child.

But even if he doesn’t punish them, he doesn't have to force me to the edge of the cliff, right? I'm also related to him by blood. Why does he have to be so cruel? I don't get it... I really don't. Francesca successfully escaped and reunited with Monica.

When Monica saw that she had returned alone, the former asked, “What happened? Where is His Highness?”

“William didn't come with me. He asked us to find Robin,” Francesca replied. “Get in the car first. Those guards have already sensed something wrong and are still looking for me.”

"Why is His Highness refusing to leave? We came here to save him, after all,” Monica questioned, pressing for an answer anxiously.

Francesca didn't say anything and pushed her into Dominic's car.

Only after the car began driving did Francesca answer. “If we save him now, the people in the castle will be doomed. Also, even if we can take him out of the hospital, it will be difficult for us to leave Danontand.”

“But we can't leave him in the hospital either!” Anxiety filled Monica. “You should have rescued him first, and we'll figure out what to do later.”

Francesca's brows furrowed. “Did you hear me or not? If he's rescued now, then Robin and those people in the castle will die! If those people die because of him, do you think William will still want to live?”

“l.." Monica was at a loss for words.

q

Chapter 2174 Sneak In

“I know you're worried about William, but now you have to see the bigger picture.” Francesca’s tone softened as she persuaded in a gentle voice, “He asked us to find Robin, saying that Robin knows what to do next.”

“The castle is closed, and there are soldiers stationed outside. It won't be easy to sneak in,” Dominic stated faintly. “It will take some time, but I will think of a way.”

Monica hurriedly said, “Dominic, we're counting on you. You must find a way to get us in.”

“I know.” Dominic looked at Monica through the rearview mirror. “Let's go back now. You guys should have a rest.”

Dominic took them back to a small villa in the suburbs first.

Francesca changed the dressing for Monica, tended to the wound, and headed back to her room. There were a few messages on her phone, which were sent by Anthony, persuading her to leave William's business alone because the matter was nothing but trouble and was even more troublesome than Chrono.

Staring at those messages, she didn't know how to reply to him.

Now, she also realized the gravity of the matter.

As she recalled the past events, she remembered that Layla and the others hadn't agreed with her giving treatment for William's legs back then. They had said that once she was involved in the matter, she would have a lot of troubles ahead of her.

However, at that time, she did not think much about it. All she knew was that William was her friend, so she could not sit back and do nothing when he was in need of help.

Who would have thought that a simple treatment would now cause her to be involved in the battle between the royal family member and also affect so many lives?

The responsibility she bore on her shoulders was snowballing.

She felt that she was caught between a rock and a hard place. Despite knowing that the road ahead was getting more and more dangerous, she couldn't back down

After all, she had already been dragged into the mess. Not only William but also those eighty people in the castle were waiting for her to save them.

At a time like this, I can't flee out of fear!

However, as she thought of Layla and Lincoln, who were also in danger, her worries intensified. They had been protecting her all these years, but she couldn't even do anything when they were in a dangerous situation.

Besides, before they left, they had told her to keep an eye on the orphanage. However, she had been as busy as a bee, dealing with matters outside all the time. Everything related to the orphanage was left to Anthony, and she had done nothing.

When they were facing issues in the foundation previously, Anthony had calculated that with all her remaining money and the money Lincoln transferred over, that could only last them for two months. It's been over a month. My finances are another huge problem as well...

Thinking of those things, Francesca had a splitting headache and ended up staying up all night, so she took some medications to let herself sleep.

She didn't know how long she had slept when Monica woke her up. “Ms. Felch! Ms. Felch!” Francesca was sleeping soundly, and being woken up by someone made her feel a little grumpy. "What's wrong?”

“Dominic has figured out a way. We can make a move now,” Monica said anxiously. “Get up quickly.” Francesca got up from the bed, ready to change her clothes.

Monica handed her a set of clothes. “Put this on. Now that no one in the castle can enter or leave, only by disguising as a bodyguard can you sneak in. I'll drive tonight while you and Dominic sneak in together.”

“Sure.”

Francesca put on the clothes and went out with Dominic and Monica

On their way there, Monica told Dominic, “Think of a way to find Robin first and give him my customized communication device so that we can contact him in the future.”

"Don’t worry. I know.” Dominic nodded, but he still had some concerns. “Maybe I should sneak in on my own. Ms. Felch has a tiny figure. I'm worried that she might get recognized.”

“It's fine. I'm familiar with the layout of the castle. Let's act accordingly to the situation,” Francesca uttered. “I need to see Robin in person to know their exact situation.”

"Ms. Felch, take care of yourself.” Monica handed her a gun. “If anything happens to you, you can use this to protect yourself.”

“Thank you.”

Chapter 2175 Savior

The three of them drove to the forest near William Castle. Then, Dominic and Francesca got out of the car and sneaked into the castle through the backdoor.

At that moment, they heard two guards chatting. “Let's have a smoke.” “How could we smoke on duty? We're doomed if we get caught.”

"What are you so scared about? The people in the castle don't know how to fight back at all. They don't even dare to leave just because they are prohibited from doing so. Look, nothing happened even after so many days. It's pointless for us to guard this place.”

“You're right. These people are used to being oppressed, so they act like caged birds. Even their master, Prince William, is merely a pawn to others. We don’t even know if he's still alive.”

“Right. What else can they do when their master is in that state?” “How much longer do you think we'll have to stay here?”

“It won't be long. Their water source is poisoned, and they have no food. They won't be able to hold on for long.” “It's already the seventh day today. I wonder if they're still alive.”

“There's some food left in there, so I don't think they'll die in seven days. However, I heard all of them have been poisoned, so they probably have little time left.”

"Okay. So we only need to hang on for a few more days before we get to go back.”

“Yes. Come on, have a smoke.”

“Thanks, dude.”

Francesca felt her heart sink when she heard the guards’ conversation.

Indeed, the people in the castle were pure and kind. Having been oppressed for so many years, they had grown numb to it and lost the courage to fight back. They could only leave everything to fate. Their only hope was that someone would appear and save them from their misery.

Francesca would never forget the way everyone looked at her like a savior when she came to the castle the last time.

“This way!"

Dominic led Francesca into the castle through the kitchen.

When they saw the scene before them, they were dumbfounded.

The castle, which used to be luxurious and magnificent, looked like a refugee camp at the moment. It was dark, save for the faint light from a few flickering candles.

Everyone had gathered in the living room and the staircase as if they were waiting for the end of the world.

They looked weak, worn-out, and terribly ill.

Even when they sensed someone enter the castle, they barely reacted. Only a few turned their heads sluggishly toward the sound of footsteps.

That was until someone recognized Francesca. “Ms. Felch?”

At that instant, everyone stirred and looked at Francesca.

When they confirmed that it was indeed her, a spark of hope gleamed in their eyes.

“Ms. Felch, it's really you?”

“Ms. Felch is back. She has come back to save us!”

“Ms. Felch...”

The big group approached Francesca and looked at her in excitement.

Some maids covered their faces as they wept, but they didn’t dare to make a sound.

Tears welled up in Francesca’s eyes instantly. She looked at them emotionally as mixed feelings filled her.

“Ms. Felch, His Highness—"

A maid spoke up frantically, but Dominic hushed her and raised a finger to his lips. “Keep your voice low, or they'll catch us.”

The maid hurriedly put her hands over her mouth and stayed quiet.

“I met His Highness today, and he’s doing fine. Don't worry,” Francesca said in a soft voice.

“Thank goodness! Thank goodness!”

Upon hearing that William was still alive, the people cheered up and finally regained the will to live. Francesca scanned through the living room and noticed that Robin was nowhere to be seen. “Where's Robin?” she asked.

"After you left, no one could treat Mr. Robin. He stopped taking medication after finishing the ones you gave him. Since yesterday, he started having a high fever. He's lying in the room right now. When I fed him some water earlier, he was still mumbling His Highness’ name,” an older maid choked out.

“Bring me to him.”

q

Chapter 2176 Savior Part Two

“Okay.” The maid took a candle and led Francesca to Robin's room. The entire castle felt grim. There was no water, no electricity, and no gas. During the day, they only had water, bread, and biscuits to fill themselves. At night, they could only keep themselves warm with candles.

However, food and water in the castle were scarce now, so they had gone through the past seven days with barely-filled stomachs.

The week was toughest for the injured ones. In fact, Robin's wounds started getting inflamed after he finished the medicine.

Thankfully, Francesca was prepared with a backpack full of supplies. Upon seeing the unconscious Robin on the bed, she fed him some medicine and cleaned his wound.

Meanwhile, Dominic distributed the food and water in his backpack to the others as he reminded them, “We could only bring so much since we didn't want to attract attention. Share this among yourselves first. We'll find a way soon.”

“Thank you. Thank you.”

They were all very grateful. To them, food and medicine were not the only things Francesca and Dominic brought; the two also gave them hope.

Francesca asked for some wet towels to apply to Robin's skin. After treating him with acupuncture, she gave out the medicine in her backpack to the others. She had brought limited supplies that were only enough to temporarily suppress the poison in them. Nevertheless, it was good enough considering their circumstances.

The group then started telling her about the things that had happened in the past few days.

After Francesca escaped, William was taken away. Before Robin could think of a way to leave the castle, it was locked down.

Then, someone arrived and announced that Charlie would take over the investigation of the poisoning. As it was suspected that the staff in the castle had something to do with the incident, the castle was closed off. No one was allowed to enter or leave.

When they heard the orders, everyone was shocked.

They all knew Charlie was the cousin who loved to bully William. As a matter of fact, William even suspected the former to be the culprit. It was ridiculous that the suspect was put in charge to look into the matter.

Sure enough, Charlie soon ordered the water, electricity, and gas to be cut off. He even stationed guards to surround the castle and prohibited anyone from entering and leaving the place. The people trapped inside were left to fend for themselves without any delivery of food and water from outside.

Initially, Robin wanted to call someone for help, only to find out that all communication channels were disconnected. They were totally isolated from the outside world.

That was how the people in the castle ended up in this state. They kept waiting for someone to rescue them, but as days passed by, Robin eventually collapsed. With that, they also lost all hope. Hearing these, Francesca was infuriated. She could not believe how cruel and inhumane those people were.

Just then, Robin moved. Francesca hurriedly approached him to check on him. He was slowly gaining consciousness, and after Dominic asked someone to feed him some water, he finally woke up.

When he saw Francesca, he was exhilarated. “Ms. Felch, you're finally back. We have hope now. We have hope now!”

“Please calm down, Robin. Take this medicine first.”

Francesca fed him some medicine again and made him drink more water.

Soon, Robin seemed much better. He turned his head to the group of people as if looking for someone.

"Who are you looking for?” Dominic asked.

"You are?”

"He is Monica's partner,” Francesca introduced.

"Oh, you're Dominic. I didn't recognize you.” Robin flashed him a smile before looking at Francesca, asking anxiously, “Ms. Felch, didn’t Mr. Lindberg’s men escort you here?”

He was under the assumption that Francesca had come back to Danontand with Danrique. It was possible that Danrique was unwilling to come because of his distinguished status, but his men should at least be around.

However, Robin failed to find anyone from the Lindberg family.

Francesca knew what he was thinking. She explained, “No. I returned to Danontand with Monica. Danrique refused to help me.”

Robin's face fell at those words. He lowered his head and heaved a deep sigh.

q

Chapter 2177 All Or Nothing

Dominic knew that the upcoming conversation would be heavy, so he asked everyone else to leave before standing guard outside the door.

Francesca comforted Robin, saying, “It's fine. Although he didn't come, I'm here. I'll do my best to help you guys.”

“Ms. Felch, I know you value friendships deeply, but this is not something you can handle,” said Robin sadly. “His Highness took a big risk back then to send you away so that you could bring help. Now, you returned alone. Not only was the great opportunity wasted, but you'll also be putting yourself in danger again.”

“I have no choice. I couldn't persuade him,” Francesca responded helplessly. “Let's talk about what we should do first. I met William today.”

Robin's eyes lit up. “You met His Highness? How is he?"

"He's very weak, but I gave him medication and treated him with acupuncture. He should be able to hang on for a few more days. I planned to save him, but he wouldn't leave. He told me to come to you, claiming that you'll know what to do next.”

Instead of easing Robin, Francesca’s words weighed him down. After a long silence, he sighed. “Is there really no way out now?”

"What do you think?” Francesca questioned back.

Robin sighed again. Then, he uttered, “It seems like we have to go all out.”

The next day, every international media outlet started reporting a particularly shocking piece of news.

William Castle in Danontand had been locked down with its water, electricity, and gas cut off. Eighty-four people were confined inside with no food supply, unable to leave. Now, they were all on the brink of death.

The news, aided by photos of the devastating situation inside the castle, soon shook the whole world.

At that moment, Francesca was lying on the couch in Monica's house, looking at the newspaper and the article on her phone.

She couldn't help but exclaim, “How smart of you, Monica! You found so many media outlets in such a short time. Aside from Danontand’s local media, almost every major media outlet in other countries is reporting this. With so many people talking about this, Federico will probably release the people in the castle, right?”

“I'm not that optimistic. I'm actually worried that this will harm them instead,” Monica admitted with a frown.

“We're not yet done,” Dominic chimed in as he walked over. He had just gotten off the phone with someone. “I just sent the group photo of the eighty-four people in there to the media. They'll be posting it soon.”

"Group photo?” Monica froze for a while before realization dawned upon her. “Oh, right! We need a group photo. If anyone from the photo ends up dying, it will be Prince Charlie's fault.”

“I have tons of materials. We'll release a little bit every day. Robin is indeed incredible to have come up with such an impressive scheme,” Dominic praised.

Francesca raised her brow and remarked, “It's not Robin, but William. William probably hatched this plan a long time ago and told Robin to go with it when there's no other way.”

Monica nodded. “She's right. It's likely that His Highness planned this long ago. When he asked me to take you away, I tried to persuade him. He told me that he had left himself a way out and has a solution for any situation that arises.”

“Indeed, Prince William is a man with foresight,” Dominic stated meaningfully. “However, what we have to consider now is moving somewhere else.”

“Moving somewhere else?” Monica was confused.

All of a sudden, Francesca felt a murderous intent coming for them. She dashed into the room instantly and grabbed her backpack.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Gunshots rang outside, and countless bullets penetrated the room door.

With her backpack on her, Francesca jumped out of the window, followed by Dominic and Monica. The three of them landed safely and made a run for it.

q

Chapter 2178 Escape

The trio began their journey of escape. That night, Monica was given a harsh warning by her superior. She was suspended from work and forbidden from meddling in matters concerning the royal family of Danontand. Moreover, they cut off her communication with the media.

Fortunately, Dominic's involvement in the incident had yet to be discovered. He was merely warned to refrain from joining Monica's ruckus. In response, he used the excuse of investigating some other cases and got away with it.

So far, all the information from Robin was with Dominic. The latter could still contact the media. Although the media had been sternly warned by the FBI and the royal family of Danontand, this could not stop their ambition to get their hands on breaking news. Though they agreed to behave, they continued to give updates on the news.

As a result, the plan was still in effect.

However, this meant that Francesca, Monica, and Dominic had to live like fugitives.

Since they still had to look for the right time to save William and the people in the castle, they didn't leave Danontand.

Being within the scope of the search, they had to be constantly on the run while looking over their shoulders.

Seven days passed by in the blink of an eye.

News about the Danontand royal family was snowballing as it made its way around the world. Someone even flew a drone over William Castle to find out what was going on.

The report about the castle being on lockdown was soon proven to be true, so the public's reaction got even more heated.

The issue continued to escalate to the point that Federico was dragged into it.

People started to dig up dirt on him. Aside from that, they found out the truth behind the tragic death of William's parents and the fact that he was crippled after falling off a horse.

Federico was therefore left with no choice but to open up William Castle and resume its electricity and gas services. The castle was also provided with food, daily necessities, and a new water supply. He made the local media record and publicize this entire process and released an explanation as to why the castle was previously closed off.

With that, Robin and the eighty-three others regained their freedom.

Due to his illness, William remained in the hospital. Federico used his medical treatment as an excuse to keep him under control.

It was then that Francesca could finally breathe a sigh of relief. Their struggles and effort to save the people in the castle weren't in vain, after all.

Now that the enemy knew Francesca and Monica were up to something, they set up heavy security around the hospital, making it difficult to sneak in again.

Moreover, they were now in hot pursuit of the trio. The three fled nonstop every day. At times, they couldn't even get three hours of sleep in a day. To make things worse, Monica's wound had reopened.

The three of them were utterly exhausted.

On one particular night, Dominic finally managed to find a room in a countryside inn. While Francesca and Monica took showers and rested, he refueled their car and guarded the door. Francesca treated Monica's wound and was about to give the latter some medicine when she noticed there was none left. She called Dominic, who immediately set out for a pharmacy. Before he left, he reminded them to be careful.

Fatigued and injured, Monica soon fell asleep.

On the other hand, Francesca was worried that someone would come for them, so she didn't dare to sleep at all. She could only lie on the sofa and scroll through her phone while it was charging.

It was her eighth day in Danontand, but Danrique never called or even messaged her.

Only Gordon sent her a text, informing her that his subordinates had found Layla and settled her down in a hospital in Zarain. He told Francesca not to worry as he had ordered his men to watch over her.

As for Lincoln, he was still negotiating with the people from Riz Corporation. It was a hard task that would require time, but Riz Corporation likely wouldn't do anything to Lincoln since they were aware of his connection to Danrique.

Francesca simply sent Gordon a “thanks” in reply and said nothing else.

She knew very well how difficult it was to snatch someone from Riz Corporation's hands.

Chapter 2179 What He Has Done For You

Although Danrique has already gained a foothold with his high and powerful position, he still has a lot to worry about. No one in their right mind would dare get on Riz Corporation's bad side at a time like this, but he did it for my sake anyway.

I know Danrique did it even though nobody told me about it, but I don't understand why he hasn't called even though I've been here for so long. Is he not worried about me at all? Or is he fed up with me because of this and plans to break up with me? But why would he help me save Ms. Layla and Mr. Lincoln if he plans on breaking up with me?

Francesca was snapped out of her train of thought when her phone started vibrating. She immediately answered the phone and called out, “Talk to me, Anthony!”

“Ms. Layla contacted me. She has been rescued! It was probably someone from the Lindberg family who rescued her.”

"Yeah, I just saw the message from Gordon. According to him, Ms. Layla was hospitalized earlier, and Mr. Lincoln's issue is being taken care of. This is probably the only good news I've received lately. Danrique has been a great help this time, so I'll be sure to return the favor someday,” Francesca whispered.

"Yeah. Danrique is always helping you out during critical moments. Prince William, on the other hand, only gets you in trouble all the time.”

Anthony got mad just thinking about it. “I've been trying to reach you for the past few days, but your phone was switched off or out of coverage area. What have you been up to? I was worried sick!"

Francesca let out a wry chuckle. “I was running for my life! Is there anything else you want to tell me? If not, I'll be hanging up now—"

Anthony was quick to cut her off, “Yes, there is one more thing!”

"Hmm? Is the orphanage running low on funds? If so, I'll figure something out.”

"Oh, that has been taken care of. A newly established foundation donated a huge sum of money to us, so the orphanage is able to resume its normal operation. They also said they will transfer money to us every month from now on.”

Francesca was overjoyed. “What? Seriously? Which foundation is that? Did Mr. Lincoln contact them or something?”

“Like our orphanage, it's called “Lovely Care Foundation.’ I looked it up earlier. Apparently, Lindberg Corporation got it registered in S Nation ten days ago. As of now, the Lovely Care Foundation has only been making transactions to our orphanage,” Anthony explained.

Francesca froze after hearing that.

What? I had no idea Danrique did this much for me! I can't believe he had someone set up a foundation in S Nation while I was in Xendale ten days ago! On top of that, he even named it after my orphanage!

"Wait, you didn’t know that?” Anthony asked.

“No, I didn't. He never told me about it,” Francesca replied with a guilty look on her face.

“There's one more thing. I was having some difficulty managing the orphanage on my own after you left. There was some trouble at the orphanages in a few other areas a couple of days ago. I was about to head over to take care of things, but then I got a call from the staff. They told me that the problems had all been resolved.

Still feeling worried, I decided to go have a look anyway. That was when I found out someone had been protecting our orphanages in secret. The police and medical institutions would rush to their aid the moment something bad happened. After doing a bit of digging, I found out that the ones protecting us were subsidiaries of Lindberg Corporation.

Just like how we have orphanages all over the world, they have branches across the globe too. Our orphanages are safe as long as they have a branch office in the same region. I've been trying to tell you about this throughout the past few days, but I couldn't reach you.

I didn't like Danrique before because I heard some nasty rumors about him. I used to think he was a cold-blooded guy, but it seems he really cares about you. I mean, just look at what he has done for you,” Anthony added.

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Chapter 2180 Days Filled With Danger

Francesca felt incredibly conflicted after hearing all that. I was wondering what happened to the problems at the orphanages a few days ago. Turns out, he has been taking care of it all for me in secret... I don't think I've ever done anything for him, though. If anything, I've only been causing him trouble. I even hurt his feelings while trying to save William!

“You should thank him. I'm not trying to side with him or anything, but he did save Ms. Layla and take care of the problems at the orphanages. Besides, Kerrie has been nagging me about it every day,” Anthony stated.

“Heh... Got it. You take care now,” Francesca replied with a chuckle and hung up the phone. After contemplating for a bit if she should give Danrique a call, she decided to go through with it and punched in his number.

It did not take long before the call got through. “Hello?”

Danrique’s voice sounded a little anxious and worried. Unsure of what to say, Francesca went with a somewhat awkward conversation starter. “W-What are you doing right now?”

“I'm in the car.” Thinking Francesca was in danger and needed help, Danrique panicked a little when he got her call. He breathed a sigh of relief after hearing her tone of voice and realizing she was fine. “Well? How does it feel to be on the run?” he asked coldly.

"How did you know I was on the run?” Francesca asked.

Danrique let out a sarcastic snicker as he replied, “Of course I do. The royal family of Danontand isn't going to let you off the hook after everything you've done.”

“Then why didn’t you come rescue me? Aren't you worried about my safety?” Francesca asked in displeasure.

“I told you not to go, but you insisted on going anyway. You were so brave and determined to save his life. How could I stop you from risking your life for such a noble cause?”

“Danrique...”

The more Danrique thought about it, the angrier he got. “Well? You ignored my advice and went over, so why would you be calling me now? You should go ask William for help instead!”

"You..." Francesca was about to say something when a gunshot rang out in the background. The next thing she knew, her window had been shattered by a bullet. She immediately rushed to Monica's side and shook her shoulders. “Hey, Monica! Wake up!”

“Francesca? Where are you right now? Send me your address—"

Danrique was cut off by the sound of an explosion in the background, and the line went dead after that.

The look on his face instantly grew icy-cold as he ordered, “Find out where she is and send someone over to save her! Hurry!”

“Right away, Mr. Lindberg!” Gordon replied with a nod and proceeded to carry out his duties. Francesca grabbed Monica by the hand and jumped out of the motel window. A few seconds later, the entire motel exploded into millions of pieces. Monica screamed when some of the debris got on her body.

Despite being severely wounded as well, Francesca forced herself on her feet and rushed over to help Monica up.

Suddenly, dozens of military vehicles came speeding over and pulled up next to them. Francesca was struggling to keep her eyes open in the face of the blinding headlights when the men stepped out of the cars and pointed their guns at her.

“There you are, you little b*tch! This is for what you did to me!” a man shouted coldly as he shot Francesca in the leg.

Bam!

Francesca fell to the ground and dropped her backpack as a result.

A tall guy then walked up to her and stomped on her hand with his black leather shoes. “You're Francesca, right?” People say you're a miracle doctor or something. Let's see you treat this wound!" he uttered while pointing a gun at her head.

“You mustn't kill her! She's Mr. Lindberg’s fiancée! He will hunt you down if you kill her!” Monica screamed in panic.