"Must you interfere in my affairs, you stinky brat?" Drake grumbled, annoyed.
Alexander was his son, and he didn't plan to keep secrets from him. In his eyes, they shared the same blood. No
matter how much he scolded or disciplined him, he couldn't abandon his own flesh and blood.
He opened a drawer and found a pair of scissors, cutting off Nala's braids, which fell to the floor.
Alexander was shocked. He wanted to stop his father, but he knew he couldn't match Drake's strength, so he bit his
lip and approached him. "Dad, are you really going to sell this girl?"
"It's not my choice. It's what Bianca wants," Drake said with a frown, instructing Alexander to fetch some of his old
clothes from the wardrobe.
Alexander brought the clothes and watched as Drake's dirty hands tore at Nala's small dress. He exclaimed, "What
are you doing?"
"You little troublemaker!" Drake glared at him. "Lower your voice. Do you want to expose us?"
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇt"Dad, you—"
"I need to change this girl's clothes! Her current attire will make her stand out," Drake explained impatiently.
Alexander rushed over and pushed his father aside. "I'll do it. You don't have to."
"You little rebel..." Drake started to say, then chuckled softly, patting Alexander's head. "Ah, I see now. You want to
help your old man, huh? Heh... I can still count on my son when it matters! Alright, you're quick. Hurry and change
her clothes. Let's go together!"
Alexander felt a deep sense of disgust, but given the circumstances, he had to take things one step at a time. He
didn't remove Nala's dress but simply dressed her in Drake's old clothes, ensuring she looked like a boy. He even
added a baseball cap to complete the disguise.
"Okay, that should do it!" Drake signaled to him. "The van is in the backyard. Let's move quickly!"
"Where are you taking her?"
"The outskirts," Drake impatiently replied. "Just hurry!" -
Bianca arrived at the Hamerton residence.
Zuko had organized a small banquet at Zest Garden, inviting some close business partners to discuss future
cooperation. The banquet took place in a separate hall with a limited number of guests, and the atmosphere was
pleasant, accompanied by soothing violin music.
Everything appeared calm and ordinary.
It didn't seem as chaotic as Bianca had imagined. She frowned, sensing something was off. Drake had claimed to
have taken Persephone. With his daughter missing, how could Zuko still be hosting a party and enjoying himself?
"Oh, what brings you here?" Suddenly, someone tapped Bianca on the shoulder from behind.
Startled, Bianca turned around to find Arya, who was wearing a friendly smile.
"Bianca, it's really you! It's been a while!"
Bianca was momentarily surprised but managed to force a smile.
"I heard you finished your studies abroad, and I haven't had a chance to catch up. What a coincidence to run into
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmyou today!"
"Yeah..."
"Did you earn your credits on your own?"
"Of course! What do you mean?"
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean anything by it. No need to take offense." Arya scratched her head. "I've heard stories from
friends abroad about people buying their credits with money and even getting caught by professors. I hope that's
not the case with you."
Bianca remained silent.
"By the way, why are you here?" Arya, always straightforward, continued. "It doesn't seem like Zuko invited you, did
he?"
Bianca's expression changed, and she inwardly rolled her eyes before walking away. She had heard that Arya had
been spending time with Toph lately. What a pair! Both of them spoke their minds without filter.
As Bianca pondered this, she noticed Chris not far away.