Chapter 375: Not Under My Watch

Coming back to the present...

Jade silently prayed that her brother would heed her warning and step back, just as she had asked.

She and Winston soon reached the car and loaded their armfuls of shopping bags into the trunk before settling into their seats. As the vehicle pulled out onto the road, the sheer exhaustion of the day washed over Jade. She leaned her head against the headrest and closed her eyes, seeking a moment of quiet.

From the front seat, Winston asked softly, "Should we head directly home now, Miss Jade?"

Jade opened her eyes. "Yes, I think that should be all for today..." She trailed off as her gaze caught a familiar French bakery. The very one Cillian often brought sweet treats from.

"Ah... Winston, can we make a quick stop here, please?" she asked hurriedly before they drifted past it.

"Here, Miss?" Winston looked bewildered, noticing they were entering a busier block lined with bustling eateries rather than quiet boutiques.

"Yes, I just want to grab something from the bakery we just passed," Jade replied.

Traffic had ground to a halt, making it impossible for the driver to pull over immediately.

Wanting to save time, Jade unlocked her door. "I tell you what, by the time you park at the curb, I will already be back with the cake."

Before Winston could object, she stepped out into the middle of the stalled traffic and shut the door behind her, weaving past the waiting cars toward the bakery.

"Wait, Miss Jade! I am coming with you!" Winston called out in a panic.

He unbuckled his seatbelt and tried to throw his door open, but another vehicle pulled up agonizingly close, blocking the door completely shut.

"Oh no... this is not good." Winston stared helplessly after Jade. "Master specifically told me not to leave her side."

Meanwhile, Milo, their driver and a former Marine, had noticed suspicious movement around them shortly after they had left the coffee shop opposite Van Empire.

Keeping his eyes fixed on the road, Milo spoke calmly, "Mr. Winston, if you can take the wheel, I will follow her. We’ve been tailed since this afternoon."

"I am well aware, Milo," Winston murmured grimly.

Refusing to waste another second, Winston abandoned his usual decorum. To the driver’s complete shock, the seventy-odd-year-old butler scrambled into the back seat, shoved the door open and leapt out onto the pavement.

"What the..." Milo whispered in awe as he watched the old man sprint after Miss Jade as if he had simply misplaced his age.

Meanwhile, inside the crowded bakery, Jade stood waiting for her order to be wrapped.

A passerby bumped into her briefly, murmuring a quick apology before focusing on the counter.

Jade barely paid it any mind, brushing off the faint, momentary prick on her hand as nothing more than a stray pin or zipper.

"Miss, here is your order." The cashier behind the counter reached out, handing over the box containing the assortment of sweet pastries she had selected.

"Thank you," Jade replied, taking the bag before turning towards the exit.

She had barely taken two steps when her movements faltered.

A sudden wave of dizziness washed over her.

"S-sorry..." she mumbled, blinking rapidly as the room seemed to tilt around her.

Her eyelids grew heavy.

Jade stumbled forward, only for a man in a suit to catch her before she could hit the floor.

"Miss! Are you alright?" he asked, loud enough to draw the attention of several people nearby.

"Oh my God! Someone call 911!"

"No need," the man quickly replied. "The hospital is right around the corner. I’ll take her."

Before anyone could question him, he scooped the unconscious Jade into his arms and carried her towards the exit.

Taking advantage of the sudden commotion, he slipped outside, where a black car was already waiting.

He placed Jade inside, climbed in after her, and the car pulled away.

Only moments later, Winston finally managed to push through the crowd.

"Excuse me." He looked around frantically. "Miss Jade?"

Seeing no sign of her, he hurried towards the counter. "Excuse me, there was a lady with red hair..."

"Oh yes," the cashier replied. "She suddenly fainted, and the kind gentleman carried her to the hospital just a moment ago."

"What?!" Winston’s heart seemed to drop into his stomach.

His eyes immediately snapped towards the exit.

Something cold settled over his features, erasing every trace of the gentle old butler everyone knew.

"Not under my watch," he whispered.

.....

Back at the Van Empire headquarters...

Owen was about to leave his office for the day when his phone buzzed in his pocket. He took the elevator down to the underground executive garage and got into his car before answering the call.

An urgent voice came through the speaker. "Sir, you were right. Your father has made his move."

Owen’s grip tightened around the phone until his knuckles turned white.

A dark, sinister coldness filled his eyes as he asked in a low voice, "Where are they taking her?"

The informant quickly blurted out the location before Owen ended the call.

He slammed his hand against the steering wheel before starting the engine with a roar. He tore out of the parking garage and onto the evening streets, as a venomous curse escaped through his gritted teeth.

"You will pay for this, old man."

.....

Back in Valentine Residence....

"You... finally came," Edith whispered.

Though her eyes were like white slates, devoid of pupils or irises, Aliana could clearly see her ancestor becoming overwhelmed with emotion.

Aliana glanced at the men in the study in confusion before returning her gaze to the spirit. "You... know me?"

"Of course!" Edith replied, giving her a grateful smile.. "I have been waiting... waiting for so long for my bloodline to produce a female heir. The very descendant destined to put an end to the curse placed upon us... because of the choices I made."

"Oh," Aliana murmured, realising what she meant. For a brief second, she had wondered if Edith knew something about her soul’s past lives.

Edith’s brows suddenly furrowed as she looked around the room. "Wait... why are you here with them?"

The spirit looked anxiously between Gavriel and Cillian, her form flickering with unease.

"You do not need to fear them... Lady Edith," Aliana assured her hesitantly. She wasn’t even sure if calling the woman ’grandmother’ was appropriate, considering Edith went back to the very origin of her family tree.

Edith didn’t seem bothered by the title, though her nervous attention remained fixed on the two men.

Aliana continued, "In fact, they are here to help me break the curse placed on our family."

"T-They what?" Edith was stunned by something that seemed almost impossible.

The Devil she had once made a deal with was sitting right there, holding the fate of her bloodline in his hands. It was difficult for her to comprehend that such a being would be willing to help them out of pure goodwill. And, more than that, the very daughter of her bloodline who was destined to free them from this cycle was seated right beside him.

And rather snugly at that.

That was when her eyes finally fell upon Aliana and Gavriel’s linked hands, their fingers intertwined like those of lovers.

’Wait...what is this? Why are they like... this?’

A mixture of shock and confusion flickered across the spirit’s face as her gaze darted from their entwined fingers back to their faces. Swallowing hard, she stammered, "What... what is the relationship between you two?"

Aliana pressed her lips into a thin line, contemplating whether to tell the woman who just had a complete meltdown over Gavriel’s presence... that the Devil was her husband.

But on second thought, she decided against it... at least until she got the answers she needed.

"That is not important right now, Lady Edith." Aliana’s expression grew more serious. "In fact, there is a very important reason why we summoned you here today, and I’m afraid we are a little short on time to get sidetracked."

"What reason?" Edith asked, her focus shifting as anxiety crept back into her voice.

Aliana wasted no time. "Can you tell us about the woman you met back then? The one who gave you the ritual to bind our bloodline to the devil?"

Edith’s white eyes widened before turning guarded. "That woman? Why do you ask about her?"

Aliana noticed the sudden change in her demeanour and quickly came up with a lie. "Just know that it is important for us to know who she was if we are to break this curse."

Edith went completely rigid. "B-but she told me that you alone would be the one to break it!"

"We still need her for something, and only you can help us find her," Aliana replied.

Edith immediately began shaking her head. "I-I don’t know anything about her. It’s impossible to find her."

All three of them narrowed their eyes at the spirit, and Aliana pressed, "Why is it impossible to find her?"

"Because..."