Chapter 8
I clearly saw resentment and unwillingness in Kenneth’s eyes.
“After him!”
The team leader roared while rushing after Kenneth with several Interpol officers.
I ran to the shattered window just in time to see Kenneth hit the lawn, roll over, and spring back to his feet, sprinting toward the woods behind the winery.
“He won’t get far! The entire perimeter is secured!”
The team leader yelled into his radio, “Notify all perimeter units to seal every exit!”
A faint chill spread through my fingertips as I watched Kenneth’s figure vanish into the dark line of trees.
I knew him all too well–he would never surrender easily. In fact, finding an opportunity when he was cornered was his strong suit.
Just then, an Interpol officer approached me and handed me two documents.
“Ms. Burton, this is the preliminary charge sheet against Kenneth Harrison, along with evidence of Jasmine Rowe’s involvement. Please review and sign.”
I looked down at the documents, pages dense with records of properties and luxuries under Jasmine’s name, yet I felt nothing.
08 17
Chapter 8
In contrast, Jasmine, now handcuffed, began thrashing wildly.
2nd Newbern
Tears streamed down her face as she screamed at me, “Sandra, let me go! It was Kenneth–he forced me! I didn’t know anything, I swear!”
“Every video you posted online, and every piece of jewelry you flaunted- they’re all evidence of your crimes,” I said flatly.
“The law won’t let you off just because you act pitiful and pretend to be the victim.”
As the officers dragged her away, her frantic pleas gradually faded down the hallway.
The housekeeper walked over to me and said softly, “Ms. Burton, Mr. Burton is here…”
I turned abruptly and saw Alban striding into the room in a black trench coat, several capable bodyguards following closely.
His gaze swept across the chaotic banquet hall before settling on me, filled with concern.
“Alban…”
Without a word, he quickened his pace and stood before me, gently draping his coat over my shoulders. Then he asked, his voice low and steady, “Are you hurt?”
“No.”
I shook my head, glancing toward the dense woods outside the window. “But Kenneth got away.”
He wrapped a firm arm around my shoulders and gave me a reassuring squeeze. “Don’t worry. We’ll find him.
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08.17
Chapter 8
“Now, come home with me.”
11
201t Vouchers
Looking at his calm, determined profile, I felt a sense of relief I hadn’t known in what felt like forever, and my eyes stung.
I hadn’t shed a single tear facing Kenneth and Jasmine, but at the sight of Alban, my family, I nearly broke down.
“Alright. Let’s go home.”
I nodded gently and let him walk out while holding me in his arms.
From that day on, Interpol issued warrants spanning all international ports, and coast guards intercepted multiple vessels suspected of harboring Kenneth.
They even captured several of his bodyguards on a yacht in international waters–yet Kenneth himself seemed to have vanished into thin air. Time and again, he slipped away right before the net was closing around him.
Alban had never been this worried.
He had three layers of surveillance cameras installed around my villa, electrified the perimeter walls with high–voltage current, stationed eight bodyguards on rotating 24/7 patrols, and even replaced all the windows with bulletproof panels.
He flew over to have dinner with me twice every week, and each time before leaving, he would earnestly instruct me, “Lock the door tightly. If you hear anything–anything at all, press the emergency button immediately.”
I always smiled and nodded in reassurance.
But deep down, I knew–a man like Kenneth, hardened by hardship and driven into a corner, wouldn’t be caught so easily.
08 18
Chapter 8
That night, after washing up. I lay in bed, flipping through documents.
A drizzle fell outside, and the sound of the rain blending with the footsteps of the patrolling bodyguards seemed to amplify the deep silence.
Exhausted from days of constant tension, I soon drifted into sleep.
Suddenly, I was jolted awake by a faint, almost imperceptible creak.
Lateefa Khanam is a spirited writer who finds freedom in horse riding. She cherishes her mare and the newborn foal, calling them her little happy family.
