Quentin chuckled, a hint of mischief dancing in his eyes. “She’s not yummy, kiddos. Scram,” he said
with a dismissive wave. The children nodded and scuttled away. Crossing his arms, Quentin gazed at
Maja, who had passed out cold on the floor. He watched her for a moment before reaching out and
gently tapping her nose with his finger. Then, he left the room. Outside, a woman who had been buried
in dirt moments ago was now sitting on the ground, frantically pulling at her hair. “How many does that
make, Quentin? How many?” she wailed. “Teacher, you gotta hide. She’s no pushover,” Quentin
advised with a smirk. “I know, I’ll do as you say, Quentin. Maybe tonight you could spare me. No torture
tonight?” Quentin covered his mouth to stifle a laugh, his usually cold demeanor taking on a seductive
charm. “Sure thing. Tonight, I’ll give you a break. You’ve been putting on quite the show lately. I can
hardly tell what’s real.” Grateful, the woman knelt and began to bow her head repeatedly. “I’m not
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtworthy. You’re the best, Quentin.” Quentin laughed again, “Get up, teacher. I’ve got my eye on new
prey, so I won’t be hitting you for a while.” “Thank you, Quentin, thank you.” Her tone was numb,
making it hard to imagine what she’d been through to end up like this. Quentin touched the tattoo at the
back of his neck, his lips curving into a smile. The woman shivered at his smile and suddenly hugged
herself tightly, scooting backwards. “Cynthia, I’m sorry, Cynthia.” “Teacher, stop losing it and find
somewhere to hide.” At his words, she clutched her head and scurried away. Quentin took a deep
breath and rubbed his temples. The group of children watched hungrily, as if the woman was some sort
of delicacy they were itching to devour. His voice was gentle as he addressed them. “Go rest up.” The
children obediently nodded, their demeanor sweet in her presence. But Maja was oblivious to this eerie
scene. It wasn’t until she woke up the next day with the world spinning that she realized something was
off. Quentin brought her a thermometer to check her temperature. “Maja, you’re running a fever,” he
said. Feeling the heat, Maja shook her head, “Any word from the Brennans?” “Yes, the construction
crew for the cottage is still at it. Got a deed transfer this morning. The land around here is all mine
now.” Maja sighed with relief and patted his shoulder, “That’s good to hear.” “Maja, you interested in
heading to Middle Island? With Troy’s resources, he could probably arrange it if you negotiate.” Of
course, Maja wanted to go. She needed to find Ian quickly. She had Quentin buy a cell phone for each
of them. After taking some pregnancy-safe fever reducers, she went to negotiate with Troy. “Troy, I
won’t devalue my shares, but you have to help me find someone.” The Brennans were a top-tier family
on Outer Island, with a network that
connected them to other wealthy islanders. Troy agreed to her proposal, had his people search Outer
Island, and even posted a significant announcement on the Brennan family’s official webpage: Penny
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmwas to be the new CEO. Everyone following the Brennan Group would want to know who Penny was. It
had been a while since Maja used this name, and she wasn’t sure how deeply BK’s influence had
penetrated here. Better safe than sorry. If Ian were on Outer Island, he’d understand what Penny
meant. Now, she sat in the Brennan estate, while Alva knelt outside the grand hall by Troy’s decree,
waiting for Maja to forgive her personally. Alva was seething, fists clenched tight. Inside, Maja sipped
tea while Troy kept her company. “Ms. Pennyfeather, my people have been searching for a day and
haven’t found the person you described.” “Troy, I’ll give it another day. If there’s still no news, you’ll
have to get me to Middle Island.” Troy nodded, letting out a sigh. “Ms. Pennyfeather, I’m cooperating
because I don’t want to see the Brennan name fall. Your boldness, I’m not sure if it’s good or bad. Just
be careful.” She acknowledged his words with a light laugh, “I only strike back when struck.” Troy said
nothing more, just arranged for her departure. As the car drove away, Maja couldn’t shake the feeling
she was being tracked. She glanced in the rearview mirror, but the road behind her was empty.