(Refresh and re-read previous chapter for the bonus words)

"God child! Are seriously gonna kill me with worrying?" The man started reprimanding even before he could give Don Samuelle some acknowledgement. He had ravaged all the nearby stores looking for her and here he found her having breakfast with some random folk, a stranger.

​​

"I told nana I'll buy myself some breakfast," She reasoned and the man only nodded his head, very much upset at the girl's escape. He then turned to look at Don Samuelle but when his eyes landed on him, he tensed immediately as if he had seen some ghost.

"I'm sorry sir if this little miss had bothered you," He bowed immediately, sweating. "Allow me to pay for the food as a compensation for the inconvenience she brought,"

"No need," Don Samuelle caught the tension on the man's eyes and he knew right then that the man must have recognized who he was and was horrified. He was used to people being scared of him on their first meeting so the man's reaction didn't give him much suspicion.

"Well thank you for the desert and for the good conversation, but I'm afraid I must go" The little girl dragged herself from her chair and bowed at Don Samuelle. The latter only nod in response. The girl then left with his uncle who held her little hand tight, as if someone was going to snatch her any time. Don Samuelle let them leave without any inconvenience and busied himself with the newspaper once again.

When the man and Willow were outside the café, the man immediately turned to look at the girl by his side to tell her off.

"Willow what the heck was that? You are not supposed to talk to strangers," He started reprimanding the girl.

"He's not a stranger; I met him a week ago in the golf club. He's a friend," Willow responded right away rolling her eyes, a little bit frustrated because she was caught.

"What were you both talking about?" The man hastily asked, afraid that the girl might have said something that can cause some future ruckus.

"Nothing special," She replied nonchalant of her uncle's worry.

"Willow!" He almost shouted her name, trying to remind her of some rules they agreed by before coming to this place.

"Uncle please... I know the rules when it comes to conversations and promise, I didn't tell anything significant," She looked at her uncle in the eye, hoping he'll believe her.

"If only you were good at following all the rules then I would have no problems believing your right now,"

"I know what I'm doing okay?"

"If I only knew I would be dealing with that kind of attitude of yours in here, then I wouldn't have agreed on coming here with you in the first place," Willow's uncle sighed deep. He had done so much risk with accompanying the girl in this country only to regret it after just a week of arriving.

"I'm sorry uncle," The girl answered with much guilt. She knew well that her uncle was forced to accompany her in that country despite his own protest and hesitation. He even took huge risks and effort just to make sure she'll arrive in this place safe and sound, "I just really wanted to eat that desert. Nana bought me one yesterday and I really really wanted to eat one again,"

Seeing how regretful the girl was, her uncle forgave her right then. He tapped her soft hair and smiled, "The desert much be very delicious since you like it very much,"

"Only because it was strawberry," she replied with another smile painted on small face.

***

"What?" Dannah's voice filled her whole office when she heard the person from the other line. It was the employee she tasked to fetch the researcher abroad and he called to inform her that the researcher they were all looking for had gone missing.

"I'm sorry Miss, we don't know what happened really," The voice from the other line pronounced. "However as we were asking around, we caught some rumours,"

"Of what?" Dannah knew whatever the rumour was, it will end as bad news so she braced herself for whatever it was.

"That the researcher had been poached by another company in there, third miss," The employee recounted. "I believe that the researcher's disappearance had something to do with that,"

"Do you know which company was trying to compete with us?"

"Yes third miss although I have no evidence to prove all these rumours," he replied with honestly.

"Doesn't matter, just tell me," Dannah waited for it.

"It was the Montreal's third Miss," Her employee revealed, "They said Director Zhanglou was also interested with the local production of strawberries for their winery,"

"I see," Dannah sighed badly deep when she heard it. It was a long time ago since she has heard of the Montreal's and she wondered by then why such a surname always ended up irritating her.

Zhanglou Montreal. What does Ziggy's father have in mind? She will not be shocked if such actions were meant to counter Darryl���s intention of dragging L Empire back to the top specially that the Montreal's was one of the companies who was most benefited with their downfall. After L Empire's scandal, it was the Montreals who have replaced their spot as the ultimate competitor of LGC and although they ended up second, still second spot was not a bad place to start with. Was Zhanglou trying to sabotage Darryl in order to retain their position? Looks like it.

After her first call ended, Dannah dialled her brother's number hoping Darryl will answer this time. She had been calling him since yesterday when he opted to kidnap his wife and have not heard of him till then.

"Dee," She called his name desperately when the line finally opened up. "What the heck was going on? Where are you?"

"I'm on my way to the office," Darryl answered.

"It didn't work out, did it?" She was curious to know but judging from how cold Darryl's voice was, she knew his acts failed.

***

"Do you have anything for me?" Darryl ignored her question and asked for some office news.

"Bad. Some bad news." She said flatly and attempted to console him, "If you don't feel like coming to the office you can just stay at home and rest or perhaps go to the gym or anything of sort,"

"Not a chance, I'll be there in a few," Darryl answered and cut the line.

"Well that's new," Dannah stared at her own phone for a while wondering what was happening to Darryl. Previously, he would usually withdraw and isolate himself in his apartment when his heartbreak strikes, yet this time, he seemed determined to report to the office. Did something happen yesterday that made him so excited about going to work?