Chapter 159
They gazed at each other from across the crowd.
His gentle eyes lingered on her for a few seconds. Only when he saw the housemaid whisper something into Blanche’s ear, and the ripple of emotion in Blanche’s gaze, did he finally turn to leave, reassured.
Eddy slid into the backseat of his Rolls–Royce, still uneasy. “Assign more security for my wife,” he instructed.
Blanche had given the maids the rest of the day off and watched as they left, laughter and chatter trailing behind them. The security team took up position at the door.
Expression calm, she closed the door behind her and changed clothes.
As she came downstairs, the courier from the law firm arrived.
She signed the documents for transferring her shares to the charity foundation, updated the list of supervising lawyers, and sent the courier on his way.
Blanche wore a crisp white shirt and jeans, her long wavy hair pulled back into a ponytail. For a fleeting moment, she felt like she was sixteen again, arriving in Novandria for the very first time.
She glanced around the villa. The newly furnished space held no trace of their former life together. Yet images from their wedding photo, family portraits, and Eddy’s stern face kept flashing through her mind.
She picked up a pen and crossed off the remaining days on her calendar, stopping deliberately at today’s date.
Steeling herself, Blanche stepped outside, settled into the backseat of the family van, and gave instructions. “Let’s stop by the precinct to pick up the jewelry first.”
Two black SUVs flanked the van as it pulled away.
A broad avenue stretched out between the Summit Grand Hotel and the police station. Today, both The Simmons Group and The Anderson Group had given employees the day off to celebrate the merger between the two families, and with the world–renowned Computer Challenge taking place, the city had temporarily closed several streets for visiting dignitaries.
The roads were jammed with people.
Car horns blared in a constant cacophony.
Blanche frowned. “Let’s not waste any more time. We’ll walk from here”
The security detail sprang into action–some forging a path ahead, others guarding her sides and rear as they melted into the crowd.
Suddenly, a large hand reached out to her. Without hesitation, Blanche clasped it and was swiftly pulled into the crush of people, landing in the protective embrace of someone solid and familiar.
The bodyguards realized almost instantly that Blanche had vanished, and frantically searched the crowd. “There! She’s over there!”
“No–wait! Over there!”
Dozens of girls in white shirts, jeans, and ponytails seemed to spring from nowhere, overwhelming the guards‘ line of sight.
“Call Mr. Simmons! Lock down the city!” one of the guards shouted desperately. “Mrs. Simmons has been taken!”
At that moment, a black sedan bearing a small national flag eased into the motorcade, cruising smoothly down the boulevard toward the sports arena.
Novandria’s elite–business leaders and politicians–were already waiting for the arrival of the convoy.
Blanche glanced out the window. Through the sealed–off street, she could see her bodyguards still searching for her. She pulled herself together and turned to the man beside her, meeting his shadowed gaze. Surprise and delight lit up her face. “Director–General, you came to pick me up in person?”
Her bright, unrestrained smile was reflected in his eyes.
He didn’t answer. Instead, he set a laptop on her lap, pride evident in his expression. “Let them know you’re back.”
Blanche’s eyes sharpened with focus. She nodded firmly, opened the laptop, and placed her hands on the keyboard. A string of code appeared, and suddenly the screen filled with minesweeper tiles.
She tapped into the base’s network. Instantly, every massive display in the control room went black, drawing the attention of everyone present. Red squares began to cluster on the screens, stacking quickly into the shape of a person.
Blanche smiled as she worked, and the figure on the screen smiled back.
Then the digital silhouette spoke in a robotic voice: “Cipher has returned. From now on, this place is under my protection.”
21:40
Thunderous applause erupted throughout the base
A profound sense of accomplishment filled the emptiness inside her
“Activate Project Vanish, Blanche commanded, issuing her first order since her return “Erase Blanchet
21:48 1
