6
The private plane landed on a pleasant island.
This island was privately owned by Rachel.
Everything on the island was set up according to Clint’s preferences.
In the afternoon, while Rachel and Clint were out on a fishing trip,
Rachel casually scrolled through the news from New York.
The news reported that a villa in the southern part of New York City had caught fire.
Since it was late at night, by the time the firefighters arrived, the villa was reduced to ruins.
Due to the severity of the fire and the complex and dangerous situation, no bodies were found.
The police checked nearby surveillance footage and saw that no one had left the villa.
It was initially assumed that the person inside was likely dead.
Rachel’s fingers moved slowly across the screen as she read the news. For a moment, she seemed lost in thought.
“Rachel, come on, smile for the camera.”
Clint was holding a selfie stick, getting close to her.
The faint scent of perfume lingered in the air as Rachel leaned into Clint’s arms, posing for the
picture.
“This picture looks great. What do you think?” Clint said, glancing down at her.
His lips brushed over Rachel’s long, curled lashes as he lowered his head.
They kissed, and the atmosphere became more intimate.
Vivian stood on the villa’s terrace with her phone, feeling uncertain.
After hesitating for a while, she found Arland’s number and called
“Sorry! The subscriber you dialed can not be connected for the moment, please redial later.”
Vivian tried calling twice before she realized.
Arland had blocked her number.
Furious, she slammed the phone down on the table.
But an odd sense of unease crept over her.
She thought about the phone calls and the news she had just read.
Her unease grew heavier by the second.
But then she remembered all of Arland’s reckless behavior recently,
and that fire from that night.
Her face darkened again.
She knew it was time to teach him a lesson.
Otherwise, he would just keep becoming more out of control.
One week later, the group returned to New York after their shopping and vacation.
Rachel couldn’t wait to bring Clint back to the Walton family home.
Mrs. Walton was sitting in the antique style hall ignoring Clint’s greeting.
She looked at Rachel with disappointment.
“You were never taught properly,” she said coldly
“Just days after Arland’s incident, you bring his father’s illegitimate son in front of me.”
“Arland was your childhood friend, how could you be so heartless?”
Mrs. Walton had a very close relationship with Arland’s mother, and after Mrs. Koch’s death, she had treated Arland as her own son.
Rachel gave Clint a reassuring look and responded nonchalantly,
“Mom, you’ve been deceived by Arland.”
“He set the fire just to get attention. Someone as arrogant as him wouldn’t really kill himself.”
Mrs. Walton stared at her for a few seconds, then shook her head, sighing.
“With all the wealth and power you’ve gained so easily, you’ve lost your softness and become cold, like someone who’s already at the top.
“You handle everything as if it’s just a job, as if you’re in a business negotiation.”
“If you don’t believe me, maybe you’ll believe the police. Take Vivian and go to the police station and collect Arland’s belongings.”
“You’ll find out then whether Arland was lying to you or not.”
Rachel’s expression shifted, but her voice remained firm,
“That’s impossible. Arland intentionally set the fire to try and get me and Vivian to come back.
Clint spoke up,
“Auntie, you misunderstood. It’s because my brother has tricked Rachel before that she doesn’t believe him.”
“If you really want to know if it’s true, you can go and see for yourself.”
Rachel’s chest rose and fell rapidly, and she nodded repeatedly.
“Fine, I’ll go right now. I want to see what new trick he’s trying to pull!”
She turned and walked out quickly, her high heels clicking rapidly on the floor.
But she forgot about Clint.
It wasn’t until Clint ran out, panting heavily, that she finally stopped in her tracks.
For some reason, an ominous premonition suddenly weighed heavily on her chest, and it almost took her breath away,
