Chapter 24: 231 - 240

Chapter 231 - Destiny

Back to the present.

Watching the beautiful young woman sleeping in his arms, Jin Liwei thought that destiny was cruel. However, when thinking about it carefully, his destiny was determined not by pure chances alone but also by his own goddamn choices.

He was the one who chose to slip away from his mother's birthday ball two years ago and overheard Fan Luo's words. He was the one who chose to believe Fan Luo over the girl named Iris Long even when the evidence pointed at Fan Luo's fault. He was the one who chose to erase all the evidence, not knowing that he was protecting an evil monster who already harmed other women before.

Then a year and a half later, he was the one who decided to approach the beautiful young woman reading a Russian book at the hotel lobby. He was the one who decided to pursue her even knowing that she was the girl he helped f*ck over. He was the one who allowed himself to fall so mindlessly in love with his baby girl.

Falling in love with Long Xiulan was the most unexpected thing that happened to him. The girl he thought insignificant two years ago turned out to become the most important person in his life.

The saying was true. Love indeed moved in mysterious ways.

At first, he only felt a primal and animalistic desire to obtain her after realizing what a genius she was. For the first time in his life, he felt lust for another human being. It didn't matter that she was the girl who he helped f*ck over by erasing the evidence of her past accident. He just simply wanted her for himself.

He didn't know exactly when his feelings started to evolve into love. She was like a black hole that sucked him in without any chances of escape. His fall was very quick—boom! He was never the same again.

Now that he was completely in love with her, he realized that he just didn't want her as his wife. He wanted her love, her everything. He also wanted her to accept him for who he was.

But how could she do that when he was hiding such a terrible secret from her?

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His secret was like a ticking time bomb. Any moment it could explode and when it did, everything he built with her so far would be destroyed into smithereens without any hope of recovery. He needed to defuse the bomb himself by telling her the truth.

"When you wake up, I'll tell you everything," he whispered to her.

He pulled her closer to his body, as if trying to fuse her with him so that they could never be separated. Fear of losing her prevented him from falling asleep. He could deal with her fury and even her hatred, but he didn't think he could deal with it if she decided to leave him forever.

A great pain squeezed his heart. He continued to agonize over his guilt and fear while he waited for her to wake up.

###

When the news broke out, everyone was shocked. All the condemnations and accusations thrown at both Jin Chonglin and Iris Long immediately stopped.

The LinLuo shippers and the haters of Jin Chonglin and Iris Long all shut up. They couldn't believe that Fan Luo, the most perfect woman in their eyes, was actually such an evil woman. Many of them were in denial, even yelling fake news. However, the evidence was strong against Fan Luo.

As for the Black Stars and Jin Chonglin's army of fans, they were stunned and then enraged. They screamed bloody murder and denounced Fan Luo. They also cried in heartbreak over what their Boss Iris and Prince Lin Lin suffered because of this evil monster.

Some of them even rallied and formed an angry mob outside the hospital where Fan Luo was staying, demanding that she surrender herself to the police.

Not even an hour later, all the young socialites who had been exposed by the hacker KeymonSTER called for a group press conference. All of them confessed that their leader was Fan Luo, pushing all the blame on her for instigating them to organize the online hate campaign against Iris Long.

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"We extend our deepest and sincerest formal apologies to Miss Iris Long for all the harm and hurt that we have caused due to our malice and immaturity. We have been led astray by a person who we thought was our friend but turned out to be a frighteningly evil person named Fan Luo. Today, we are officially declaring that we and our families are cutting ties with Fan Luo and the entire Fan family! Once again, we are very sorry for what we did in the past. We promise that we will never do it again and that we will change for the better!"

Some praised the socialites for owning up to their mistakes, but many were doubting their sincerity. They thought that the socialites were just saving their own a**es by throwing all the blame on Fan Luo now that her reputation was unrepairable.

Regardless of what their real reasons were for apologizing, the Black Stars still didn't have any good feelings about these socialites who trampled upon their Boss Iris' name.

The socialites' press conference barely ended when another news broke out.

"Nation's Most Evil Woman Fan Luo Supporting the Alarm Girls"

"Alarm Girls' Lawyer Reportedly Paid by Fan Luo"

"Fan Luo Teamed Up with Alarm Girls, Known to be Long-Time Enemies of Iris Long"

By this time, the public already grew somewhat numb to the news revealing how evil Fan Luo was. The exposés were like an avalanche—nonstop, uncontrollable and destructive.

The law firm handling the Alarm Girls' case released an official statement. They announced that their lawyer representing the girls was quitting, leaving the Alarm Girls to fend for themselves in the middle of their battle against Mr. Chen's secretary and the nail polish company.

At this moment, the hacker KeymonSTER struck again. He exposed the young women accusing Mr. Chen and several higher-ups of the nail polish company as liars paid by Fan Luo to sabotage the trial against the Alarm Girls. Their accusations of sexual harassment, bribery and sextortion were done to damage the reputations of Mr. Chen and his colleagues.

Some of the women came forward to apologize for fear of their lives. They were already receiving death threats from random people.

"Fan Luo, that evil woman, was only treating the case between the Alarm Girls and the nail polish company as a test run. She said that if the Alarm Girls can get away with this case, they have a high chance of winning their next case against Miss Iris Long and her fans," one of the women revealed.

It was uncertain whether this woman was telling the truth or not. Would Fan Luo really reveal her intentions to someone she just paid to do her bidding? Perhaps the woman was just fanning the flames that was currently burning Fan Luo. No matter what the truth was, the media and the public were lapping all the details regarding Fan Luo's wickedness.

Everyone wanted to hear from Iris Long herself but she hadn't made any statements so far. Her social media accounts hadn't been updated. People felt sorry for her and were enraged on her behalf. She had suffered so much, almost dying and having her reputation dragged through the mud over and over again, just because Fan Luo was jealous of her.

Bright Summit and JJ's record label all released official statements condemning Fan Luo and stating their full support for Iris Long. Bright Summit especially emphasized their support because two of their current best-selling artists, Jin Chonglin and Iris Long, were involved in the current scandal with Fan Luo.

It was one revelation after another. The nation had more than enough to talk about with just these news alone.

Everyone was so absorbed at these explosive news that nobody noticed the recent news about the obliteration of three infamous gangs by a single new group. The authorities were still gathering information about this new group. They didn't classify the group as a gang but temporarily called it an anti-gang instead.

Its leader was still unknown. However, they speculated that the leader must be someone with great wealth and outstanding leadership to be able to gather skilled members and to rise to prominence in such a short period of time.

With everyone focused on Fan Luo, Iris Long, Jin Chonglin and the Alarm Girls, this new group continued on their quest to destroy gangs unhindered. The police didn't stop them, even encouraging them in their hearts for doing their job for them.

The wheels of destiny started turning a little faster.

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Chapter 232 - Useless

Chief of Police residence.

Si Xinyue invited her best friends and sisters Feng Wan, Bai Li and Kung Mian. As the Police Chief, her husband had been very busy ever since the Fan family's crimes were exposed to the public. He became even busier when the crimes of Fan Luo were revealed earlier today.

She wasn't complaining because these cases were very important to her and her sisters. They only found out that their dear Iris suffered so much in the hands of that evil monster Fan Luo!

The four posh ladies were all aghast and enraged when they heard the latest news. They couldn't even drink good champagne because they felt too upset.

"My husband told me that the police already submitted a request for a warrant to arrest that evil girl Fan Luo," Si Xinyue informed her friends. "They're just waiting for the judge to approve and sign the document."

"What's the judge doing? Why's he taking so long?" Bai Li asked. She was from a family of scholars and national artists. They owned one of the top private universities in the country.

"Be patient. That girl's crimes were only revealed today. They still need to confirm the authenticity of the crimes she committed. There's not only one crime that she committed after all. But I agree with you. I hope that the judge can sign the arrest warrant today," Kung Mian said. She was from a family of influential politicians.

"I just hope that Fan Luo won't escape from the hospital before she's arrested," Feng Wan said, her narrowed eyes blazing with suppressed anger.

Among the four friends, Feng Wan was the one with the deepest background. She was born into a prestigious family of diplomats. Her late husband was from a distinguished military family. Both of their families came from a long line of old money and power whose influence extended across all the major sectors in the country. Although the Jins and the Lus shined the brightest right now, they couldn't even compare to the combined status of Feng Wan and her late husband within the exclusive circles of high society within the country and beyond. She and her family just lived low-key lives despite their high status.

"It will be difficult for that evil girl to escape," Si Xinyue replied. "My husband sent a number of police officers to surround the hospital to block any of her attempts of escaping. They're also there to prevent the angry mob outside the hospital from going out of control. They're not stopping the mob, though."

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"Good," Feng Wan commented with a nod.

"I feel so sorry for our dear Iris. Poor girl." Bai Li sighed, shaking her head.

Kung Mian shook her head as well. "I wonder how she's doing now. I hope she's alright."

The four posh ladies continued to talk about Iris. They were waiting for the next development in this situation, ready to use their own respective backgrounds to provide support if needed.

###

Shrill screams and banging sounds filled a private hospital room. The doctors, nurses and other medical staff passing by the hallway outside glared at the door after hearing the noises. They all knew about the criminal staying in that room. Many of them were tempted to storm inside the room and beat the crap out of that evil woman. However, they were still medical professionals at the end of the day.

Inside the room, everything was a mess. Fan Luo was screaming and throwing everything she could get her hands on. Her mother just stood there, silently watching her with a cold expression.

"Why?! Why is this happening to me?!!" Fan Luo cried.

Just this morning, everyone was still on her side despite the exposé of her family's crimes. She was still the perfect lady that people looked up to. But now everything turned upside-down!

She wasn't really ill after her "attempted suicide". The slash on her wrist was just a superficial wound. The doctor who admitted her was on their side. He was also the one who helped her with the abortion, writing it off as miscarriage on her medical record, and also for "diagnosing" her with depression when she wasn't really depressed.

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"Mom, what are we going to do? They're going to arrest me!"

Fan Yuming's expression became ugly. They tried escaping earlier with the help of the doctor but a nurse snitched on them and they were caught. They also didn't expect that the police had already surrounded the entire hospital. At the moment, police officers were already stationed outside the room locking them in even without an arrest warrant. The doctor was also being held for helping them.

"I noticed that the Chief of Police has been extra hard on us ever since your father, uncles, and cousins were arrested. And now this! The police won't even let you, a lady, off!"

"Mom, I don't want to go to prison!"

"Stop whining, Luo Luo!" Fan Yuming snapped. "Let me think. Our friends have all turned their backs on us, those bastards and b*tches. We've helped them so much by connecting them to the Jins but this is the thanks we get? And this is all Liwei's fault! Everything started going downhill ever since he rejected our company's business proposals. He must've already planned our downfall since then. I don't know how our family offended him but he's an a**hole! Curse him to hell!"

"Think of something, Mom! Time is running out!"

"Be quiet. I guess our best choice is to ask Huang Yuyan for help. Although we're now on bad terms with her sons and the Jins, that fool is so easy to manipulate. I'll just cry a little and she'll help us for sure. She also loves you like a daughter. You have to do your part and cry to her as well."

"I understand, Mom."

Fan Yuming called Huang Yuyan on the phone but discovered that her number had been blocked. She threw her phone against the wall in rage.

"That disloyal b*tch! I've sacrificed so much of my time pleasing her and even helping her weak pathetic self after her husband's death! And this is how she repays me?! F*ck you, Huang Yuyan!"

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Fan Luo's panic jumped to overdrive. "Mom! What are we—"

"Shut up! You're useless! I already paved the way for you to wrap your little finger around Chonglin, but look! You couldn't even control him! Despite becoming his fiancée, you only let him become estranged from you! I regret marrying into this family, even changing my surname to Fan. I made the Fans great! Without me, the Fans will still be a little local pawnshop! Even with all my hard work, all of you Fans are still so useless!"

"Mom..."

Fan Yuming's face was filled with resentment and hatred. "Just because that Huang Yuyan is pretty, she managed to reel in the Jin heir. She has nothing besides her beauty! She's dumb and weak. If I met the Jin heir first, I would've been Madam Jin instead of a fool like her. Then all of these wouldn't have happened!"

Fan Luo couldn't refute her own mother, so she directed her fury at another person instead. "This is all the fault of that sl*t Iris Long! My perfect image is ruined and everyone hates me now because of her!"

Fan Yuming and Fan Luo were indeed mother and daughter. Both of them were hating and blaming other women for their own misfortune. The mother hated Huang Yuyan, while the daughter blamed Iris Long.

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Chapter 233 - Forgive Me

The mother and daughter had no idea that ever since the police surrounded the hospital, they had been under surveillance. The hospital fully cooperated with the authorities, not wanting to damage their reputation by protecting a criminal.

All of their conversations were being recorded both on video and audio. The police planned on using the surveillance tapes as part of the evidence against Fan Luo and even Fan Yuming at the criminal trial that was sure to happen.

However, the hacker KeymonSTER didn't want to wait until a criminal trial was scheduled. He hacked into the police system, stole the recordings, and then released them online for everyone to see.

In public, the police condemned the hacker for breaching their security system but they didn't do anything to stop the spread of the tapes. Their Chief ordered them to stay put. By this time, many already noticed that the Chief of Police must have had some sort of grudge against the Fans.

They were wrong, though. The Chief didn't have any grudge against the Fans at all. He was just granting his beloved wife's request to make sure that the Fans, especially Fan Luo, wouldn't have any chance of escaping.

Now the people didn't only hate Fan Luo but also her mother, Fan Yuming. The headlines exploded once again.

"Like Mother, Like Daughter: Evil Spawns Evil"

"'I Made the Fans Great!', Fan Yuming Says, Reveals She Used Friendship With Madam Jin to Climb the Social Ladder"

"Fan Yuming Insults Madam Jin, Calls Her a Dumb Fool Who Has Nothing But Beauty"

"Fan Yuming Wanted to Become Madam Jin?"

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###

Jin Family's Old House.

The tablet fell to the floor. The video of Fan Yuming insulting Huang Yuyan was still playing. Each and every hurtful words were like knives stabbing painfully at Huang Yuyan's heart. She couldn't believe what she was hearing.

Was this her best friend? Her sister?

Perhaps Huang Yuyan still could've ignored the insults to her person. After all, she was well aware that she wasn't the smartest nor the strongest woman. She knew her own weaknesses. She could've written off the insults as something that Fan Yuming said at the heat of the moment.

However, Huang Yuyan couldn't accept that the person she treated like her closest sister wanted to marry her late husband, even fantasizing about becoming Madam Jin. For Huang Yuyan, her husband was her bottom line. What Fan Yuming said was just too shameless. It completely shattered her illusion of friendship.

Huang Yuyan bit hard on her lower lip in frustration until it bled. Her eyes watered but she wiped them furiously. She didn't want to cry over a traitor who used her in the pretense of friendship and sisterhood.

"I'm so stupid," she said.

"Yes. You've been very stupid," Grandma Li replied.

"Mother...please tell me how I can become strong. I know that I'm dumb, weak and gullible. And that my own children coddle me. I want to become stronger for them, for our Jin family and for myself. I don't want anyone to suffer anymore because of my own weakness. Please tell me, Mother."

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Grandma Li looked at her daughter-in-law with a serious expression. "You've already taken the first step. You don't become strong in a day. Learn from your past mistakes."

Huang Yuyan nodded, her lips trembling. "I'm so sorry..."

"My dear, it's not me who you should apologize to. Our Liwei isn't saying anything, but I know that you've hurt your eldest son's feelings by ignoring his many attempts to talk to you. Your refusal to speak with him because of those evil Fans is an unjustified punishment. As for Little Chonglin, hai, what can I say? I don't think he would even give that evil girl attention if not for you." Grandma Li shook her head, sighing. "So Yuyan, if you want to redeem yourself and become stronger, start making amends with your own children first."

With that, Grandma Li left Huang Yuyan to ponder over her own foolishness.

###

Dragon Palace Home #10.

It was already evening when Iris woke up. Although her surroundings were unfamiliar to her, she still felt at home in the arms of her man and the purring warmth of their two fur ball kids. She snuggled deeper in Jin Liwei's embrace, inhaling his masculine scent that she liked so much.

"Baby?" He stayed awake holding her the entire time.

"Mmn...Missed you..." she murmured.

His arms tightened around her. They embraced each other until Ice Cream and Popcorn started meowing loudly at them. The kittens were hungry.

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"Are you hungry, too?" Jin Liwei asked her.

"No. I don't really have an appetite especially after what happened today, but I'll try to eat."

At the mention of what happened earlier, her expression suddenly turned vicious before she was able to control it.

The expression was so unlike her that Jin Liwei was taken aback. His heart hammered inside his chest. Apprehension whirled within him, threatening to overwhelm him until he almost couldn't breathe. He took a few deep breaths, forcing himself to calm down. He strengthened his resolve in preparation for his confession later.

The two freshened up before carrying their kittens out of the bedroom suite. They headed to the dining area.

Iris kept looking around, curious at Jin Liwei's mansion. It was massive...and lifeless. The servants avoided eye contact and stayed quiet as much as possible, only greeting them briefly as per their duty. The place reminded her of the Vetrov estate.

Jin Liwei noticed her expression. "You don't like my house?"

She hesitated before answering. "It's not that I don't like it. This place is beautiful and elegant but...it feels like a necropolis."

He nodded, not surprised by her answer. "I get that a lot. If you don't like it here, we can buy another house together. Whatever you want, we'll get it."

She smiled at him. "Okay. I'll think about it. Grandpa Lu says that I should start investing in real estate anyway. But this place is good. Let's keep it. We just need to add more life to it."

"En."

His heart was filled with so much love for her that it felt like it was going to burst. However, fear and anxiety tainted the wonderful feeling. He almost blurted out the truth to her right then and there but stopped himself. He decided that he would confess everything to her after dinner.

The household staff served them a late dinner. They were extra attentive and more enthusiastic than usual because of Iris' presence. She smiled and thanked them, making them blush regardless of their age and gender.

Lu Zihao and Dom already ate earlier, but the glutton Dom joined them again to have another round of dinner. But first, he fed Ice Cream and Popcorn. A maid tried taking the kittens, but they hissed and bared their claws at the stranger. They only calmed down and reluctantly left their Mommy and Daddy's side once Dom arrived to take them. As for Lu Zihao, he seemed to have left and went somewhere.

Both Iris and Jin Liwei had no appetite during dinner. Ice Cream and Popcorn ate more than them.

After dinner, Jin Liwei toured Iris around the mansion while Dom took care of the kittens, helping them familiarize with the place and the household staff.

The two reached a rotunda with a glass dome where they could see all the twinkling stars in the night sky up above their heads.

Iris was admiring the place, while Jin Liwei was soaking in his own sweat because of his anxiety. He had met so many famous figures in the world and gave important speeches before, but he had never felt this nervous and afraid.

Finally, he decided to do it.

"Baby...I need to...I have something important to tell you."

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Sensing his anxiety, Iris tilted her head to the side. "Hm?"

"I've done something unforgivable to you. But even so, I still hope that you'll forgive me." He reached for her hands and held them. Without breaking eye contact, he knelt in front of her.

"Liwei! What are you doing?!" Iris was confused. At first, she thought he was going to propose but his expression looked off. She tried pulling him up but couldn't.

He tightened his hold on her hands. "Please listen to me. I..."

He confessed everything that happened two years ago. He started from his mother's birthday ball and overhearing Fan Luo. He told her all the sequences of events as he remembered them without trying to justify himself in the process. He gave her the unvarnished truth, the words rushing out of his mouth in an almost mechanical manner. Nevertheless, his trembling voice and pleading expression gave away his real emotional state.

"I'm so sorry," he said when he finished confessing. "Baby, I love you so much! Please forgive me. I regret all of the things I've done to you in the past. Believe me. I promise that I'll do anything for you from now on. You're the most important person in my life. Just please, I beg you, forgive me."

Iris froze into a statue of shocked disbelief, but her heart melted seeing him agonizing so much. Her expression softened.

"Liwei, I—"

She gasped.

Intense fury suddenly flared within her. Murderous intent flooded her veins like a lava blazing through her rationality.

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"How dare you?!" she screeched.

Then she attacked him.

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Chapter 234 - Promise

Jin Liwei tumbled onto his back on the floor with Iris on top of him. She pounded on his chest with her fists, scratched his neck and shoulders, and tore at his shirt.

His eyes widened in shock at her sudden violence, but he stayed still and endured all of her attacks. Her fists may look delicate but they sure could pack a punch. He didn't try protecting himself, gritting his teeth instead to stop himself from groaning in pain.

It was a little odd because she appeared to be aiming at his face but for some reason, her hands would veer off course and hit his body instead. Her screeches and curses of bloody murder echoed throughout the large, empty rotunda, sounding like a demented evil spirit terrorizing the land of the living.

He thought that he was prepared to face her wrath and the possibility of her attacking him which were already happening right now, but he never expected to see such a ferocious expression on her face.

Something was telling him that the woman on top of him wasn't his baby girl. He didn't feel any sense of familiarity with this raging woman at all. The feeling was unexplainable and freaky.

It was only when her attacks started slowing down, or more accurately, when she was trying hard to restrain herself that the sense of familiarity returned to him. Her expression also changed from vicious to torn. Tears started flowing down her face.

"No no no... Not Liwei not Liwei... I don't want to hurt Liwei...no..." she would cry one moment before once again screaming, "How dare you, you bastard?! I'll scratch your f*cking face off! Cut off your d*ck and shove it down your throat! F*ck you, a**hole!"

Her sudden crass language made him cringe, but he just attributed it to her fury.

He looked at her and in his sincerest voice, he told her, "I love you. I'm so sorry."

She stopped when she heard his words. Her expression kept on shifting between looking like she wanted to skin him alive and wanting to embrace and kiss him.

In the end, she roughly grabbed his chin and smashed her mouth against his mouth in a hot, brutal kiss. She bit and sucked hard on his lips and tongue, making them bleed. Both of them tasted his blood.

He couldn't stop himself from responding to her even when her ruthless kiss hurt so much. It felt like she wanted to bite his lips and tongue off and eat them. But he didn't care. If she wanted to eat him alive, he would readily offer himself to her.

The kiss eventually became less violent and more sensual. Jin Liwei's hands started roaming on her body, but she grabbed both of them and held them down above his head. Then she resumed kissing him hungrily.

When both of them were gasping for breath, she released his mouth and glared down at him. "F*ck you, Jin Liwei. You're an a**hole."

"Yes. I'm an a**hole."

Then her angry glare transformed into a sad expression. She blinked and tears fell from her eyes, splashing down on his face. Some of her tears mixed with the blood around his mouth. Her tears gave him more pain than her attacks.

"Baby, I'm sorry. Please don't cry."

"Liwei...I...I need to leave you."

Both his breathing and heart stopped for a few seconds. Then he panicked. The hands held down above his head escaped from her grasp. Sitting up with her still on top of him, he desperately clung to her.

"No! Baby, please no. I'll do anything you want. Anything! Just say it, I'll do it! Please don't leave me."

She closed her eyes, avoiding his pleading face. She looked like she was in great pain. When she opened her eyes, there was a firm determination within them. Then she started disentangling herself from him.

"Liwei, let me go," she said in a strained voice. "I...I want to stay with you but...I can't be with you right now."

He hugged her more tightly. His eyes also started welling up. "Baby, please. I'm begging you. Don't leave me."

When he refused to release her, she snapped and pushed him away with all her might. "Let go, a**hole!"

It felt like she just stabbed a pole into his heart and twisted it. His arms loosened around her, and then fell down to his sides.

Seeing his hurt expression, she wavered for a moment before she hardened once again. She avoided looking at his face, while she continued disentangling herself from him.

He no longer tried to stop her. He just watched her with heartbroken eyes, as she got off him.

As for Iris, she was fighting a fierce internal battle. Hatred boiled within her, threatening to explode any second, but she forcefully tamped it down. The need to raise hell and go berserk was so intense that she could barely control herself.

But she couldn't bear to hit Jin Liwei again. When she lost control earlier, it also hurt her when her fists struck him. It was a pain that battered at her heart. It felt like his pain was also her pain.

All she wanted was to console him and to stay with him. However, she just couldn't disregard the overwhelming bloodthirst of her body.

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Jin Liwei wanted forgiveness, but it wasn't her who needed to forgive him. The soul of the original Iris might be gone, but her remnant was still very much alive inside her body. The remnant consisted of pure and unadulterated emotions. This time, it was of pure hatred.

She needed to appease the remnant's desire for revenge first before she could live in peace with Jin Liwei.

If she stayed with him at this time, she feared that the remnant would only engulf her and make her hate Jin Liwei. She didn't want that to happen. So she could only leave him...for now.

She crouched and then hugged his neck tightly. Speaking directly to his ear, she told him, "I can't stay with you for now because I don't want to hate you. I need to leave and resolve something on my own first. After I'm done, I...I'll come back." She released his neck.

They looked at one another.

"You'll come back? Promise?"

"I promise."

He looked unwilling to let her go, but he still nodded. "I'll wait for you. Please...please don't forget to come back to me. I love you so much."

She looked at him one last time, memorizing every detail of him.

"I need to go," she said, standing up. Taking a few deep breaths, she turned around and walked away.

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Jin Liwei remained on the floor, watching his baby girl's back get farther and farther away from him, until she completely disappeared from his view. He wanted to chase after her but stopped himself. He trusted her. She said she was going to come back, so he would wait for her.

He dropped on his back, lying on the cold hard floor. He looked up at the night sky through the glass dome. It was as if the twinkling stars lost their lustre. His baby girl took all the beauty and colour of his world with her. He would need to live in a dark, colourless and joyless world from now on until she returned to him.

"What am I going to do? You just left but I'm already missing you."

Covering his eyes with his arm, he began to cry.

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Chapter 235 - Come Back Soon

Dom burst into tears when Iris informed him that she was leaving. She let him decide whether he wanted to return to the penthouse or stay here at the mansion with Jin Liwei and the kittens.

"Wuwuwu! Boss, I'll stay here with sir boss and Ice Cream and Popcorn! I'll take care of them, so that they won't feel too lonely without you! Wuwuwu!"

"I'm counting on you, Dom," she told him. Then she hugged and nuzzled each of her kittens. "Ice Cream, Popcorn, stay with Daddy, okay? Don't let him feel too sad. I also give you permission to scratch the faces off of anyone who dares steal Daddy away while Mommy is gone, okay?"

Ice Cream tilted her head to the side and meowed in assent. Her action resembled her Mommy so much that Dom's hands moved on their own, fishing out his phone from his pocket and taking pictures of the cute plump, grey kitten.

On the other hand, Popcorn was meowing and rubbing himself all over Iris. He didn't understand what was going on, but he could feel something was off. He felt restless and sought comfort from his Mommy.

Of course, Iris did her best to soothe the kittens.

Moments later...

"Ready, little sister?" Lu Zihao's smooth and alluring voice asked.

He seemingly appeared out of nowhere. Iris barely detected him, while Dom jumped in surprise at the sound of his voice.

Lu Zihao was leaning his back against the doorway with his hands tucked inside the pockets of his jeans. As usual, he looked devilishly handsome.

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Dom stopped sobbing and stared at Lu Zihao with fangirlish eyes.

Lu Zihao smirked at him. "Still a crybaby, I see."

"Ah!" Dom clutched his chest and staggered back. If he wasn't feeling upset because of his boss' departure, he would've already started squealing like a crazed fangirl.

"Big Brother, let's go." She slung a backpack behind her.

Dom found the medium-sized bag from Jin Liwei's walk-in closet, and then packed some of Iris' essentials from the luggage Yi Mei sent earlier. Iris didn't bring everything. All she needed was a few clothes, her laptop, phone and wallet.

"Give me." Lu Zihao took the backpack from her and carried it instead.

They walked out of the bedroom suite. Ice Cream and Popcorn trotted beside their Mommy's feet. Dom followed closely behind Lu Zihao, admiring his tall back.

When they reached the grand foyer, Jin Liwei was standing there waiting for them. He looked like a zombie with his red eyes, bleeding mouth and ripped shirt. The scratches on his neck and shoulders were red and swollen.

The butler and servants pretended that everything was normal, even though they were extremely shocked inside seeing their master's sorry appearance. What happened between Miss Long and their master? Did they break up? What did their master do that Miss Long beat him up so badly? They were many questions they wanted to ask but didn't dare to.

Lu Zihao raised an eyebrow at the sight of Jin Liwei. He gave his sister a side-eye. "You did that to him?"

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She didn't reply, biting her lip instead. Taking a few deep breaths, she bent down and carried the kittens in her arms. Then she walked towards Jin Liwei and gently handed them to him.

"I'll punish you if you neglect our kids," she whispered.

His eyes reddened a bit more. "Don't worry. I'll take care of them."

She nodded and stepped back.

"Can...can I kiss you before you go?" he asked.

"I..." She hesitated, afraid that the original's remnant would flare up again. Her heart ached seeing his bleeding mouth. She didn't want to bite him again.

"It's okay. Bite me all you want. It doesn't hurt."

"Liar," she told him before turning around and walking away.

Jin Liwei released a shaky breath, depressed by her refusal. It hurt. He involuntarily tightened his hold on the kittens, eliciting meows of complaints from them. He forced himself to loosen his arms.

His eyes were downcast while he focused on controlling his emotions. He didn't see it when Iris suddenly turned and strode back. He only noticed her when she was already right in front of him.

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She grabbed his head and kissed him hard. Both of their eyes were open, looking at each other. Iris' eyes were intense, while his were surprised. He wasn't able to react in time. The kiss ended so soon. She turned around again and walked quickly away without looking back at him.

Dom started sobbing again.

"Take care of her, Fifth Brother," Jin Liwei said, his voice hoarse. "Keep her safe."

"Of course," Lu Zihao replied.

Iris and Lu Zihao finally left.

Popcorn started freaking out and attempted to jump out of Jin Liwei's arms, wanting to follow after his Mommy. Jin Liwei didn't allow him. Ice Cream didn't struggle but meowed mournfully while looking at the direction her Mommy disappeared to.

That night, Jin Liwei lay with the kittens on his bed, staring up at the ceiling unable to sleep. He inhaled his baby girl's scent from the pillows and the sheets she used when she slept earlier.

"She'll come back," he persuaded himself.

However, he still couldn't stop the feeling of loss. It felt like a part of him just died from her absence, even if it was only temporary. Especially since he didn't know how long she would be gone.

"Come back soon," he whispered into the silence of the night.

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###

Inside the car, Iris sat with Lu Zihao in the backseat. She observed the two men at the front who her brother introduced earlier as his new subordinates. One was driving while the other sat stone-faced.

Upon meeting them, she immediately sensed that they were dangerous. Appearance-wise, they looked harmless and average-looking. They were the type that was easily forgotten in a crowd or in the streets. To her, however, their lethal aura was very familiar, something that she regularly encountered from her bodyguards in her past life as Evelina Vetrova.

Lu Zihao chuckled like the devil. He instantly knew what she was thinking about. "Don't compare them to our people in the past," he told her in Russian. "These two couldn't even compare to the pinkie of one of your maids. But they have potential. We'll see how far they can go."

Her brows knitted in apprehension after hearing his words. She didn't like the sound of what he said.

"Big brother, what are you planning?"

A bad feeling filled her regarding her brother.

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Chapter 236 - Shadow Winds

Lu Zihao didn't answer but gave a mysterious smile instead. With that, he leaned his head back, closed his eyes, and ignored Iris.

The car lapsed into silence.

She opened her mouth to ask him again, but then noticed the weary lines on his face. He looked exhausted! She immediately felt guilty. She had been too preoccupied with her own matters that she didn't notice his tired condition.

It was already way past midnight. She let her brother rest. He only told her that they were heading to one of his recently bought properties, but she didn't know where.

In the meantime, she took her laptop out of the backpack. She began looking up the latest news about Fan Luo.

The remnant within her flared up. This time, she didn't fight against it, letting the hatred and fury flood within her. There was no Jin Liwei that she needed to worry about hurting. Despite allowing the bloodthirst to fill her, she still retained some measure of control on her body. Her expression was cold and an intense murderous intent emanated from her.

Lu Zihao's two subordinates sitting at the front sensed it. They became alert, preparing themselves to face a lethal enemy. When they realized that the thick aura of danger was coming from her, they were shocked.

Lu Zihao's eyes opened and glanced at her. But he closed them again as if it didn't bother him.

About half an hour later, the car drove inside a gated compound. It was the only residence in an industrial area filled with old closed-down warehouses and factories. In fact, the residence was originally a warehouse but was converted into an impressive mansion.

"You did this, Big Brother?" she asked.

"No. I bought it like this."

Iris could see a number of people patrolling around the property. Her eyes narrowed. She could sense that these people were all trained and dangerous. The scene reminded her so much of the Vetrov estate in the past.

He noticed her expression. He told her in Russian, "Like I said, don't compare these people to our people in the past. And little sister, you still suck at concealing your emotions from your face. Normal people might not be able to read you but to trained experts like me and my subordinates, we can read you like a book. Improve on it."

She pouted but still nodded. She really didn't care whether others could read her or not. What others thought about her was none of her business. They could think whatever they wanted about her for all she cared. But her big brother said to improve on it, so she would. It wasn't like she would lose anything from it.

The car stopped in front of the main entrance. One of Lu Zihao's subordinates opened the car door for them.

Lu Zihao carried her backpack and led her inside the mansion. The ones patrolling outside were all stone-faced, but the ones waiting inside greeted them good-naturedly. There were also some women among the group. Their eyes lit up when they recognized her.

"Holy sh*t! Iris Long?! You're Iris Long, right?"

"F*ck me! I'm a big fan! Can I get your autograph?"

"Sign my shirt, please! I also want a photo with you. Is it okay?"

"Boss Iris, I'm a member of the Black Stars! I'm with the Slippers Army! Uwah! Wait until my fellow Black Stars hear about this. They're gonna be so envious that I met you in the flesh."

Iris was surprised by the warm welcome. She smiled at them and agreed to their requests of autographs and photos.

"Boss Hao, is Iris your girlfriend?" one of them suddenly asked.

A deadly aura burst from Lu Zihao. Everyone froze and went silent. Their earlier exuberance was replaced by complete submission. Even Iris couldn't help but shiver a bit.

She cleared her throat. "No, Big Brother Zihao is my brother. I have my own boyfriend."

"Oh." They appeared curious at her revelation of having a boyfriend but nobody asked her for more information because of Lu Zihao's silent warning.

"Call my sister Miss Xiulan, not Iris," Lu Zihao ordered them.

All of them obeyed.

"Little sister, these are my subordinates. We call ourselves the Shadow Winds. It seems that the authorities are describing us as an anti-gang." He sneered. "It's like calling a shark a tadpole."

Iris looked at everyone and bit her lip. She could tell that her big brother was very much in his element right now. It was scaring her. "Big Brother, why did you form Shadow Winds? What is this group for?"

"Don't think too much about it, little sister," he said, rubbing the top of her head. "Don't you know that we stand on the side of justice? Those gangs bullied some of my subordinates before. We are just carrying out retribution. My people shall never cower or bow down to anyone!"

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"Yeah!" His subordinates yelled in agreement, pumping their arms up in the air. Their eyes burned with fervour.

Lu Zihao nodded and then continued to tell her, "As the saying goes, 'Do not do unto others what you don't want others do unto you.' We won't touch anyone as long as they don't bother us. But if they do, well, 'An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.' That's all."

His words resonated with the remnant within her. It flared up with more force this time. Iris didn't fight against it. After all, her mission at the moment was to appease its need for revenge.

She hoped that once the remnant achieved revenge for the original Iris, it wouldn't bother her or fight for control with her body anymore. She wasn't expecting for the remnant to completely disappear but to at least co-exist with her without trying to overwhelm her with emotions that wasn't hers. If they managed to co-exist, perhaps her body would accept her more fully and stop trying to reject her.

"You want revenge?" Lu Zihao asked. He already sensed that the bloodthirsty woman beside him wasn't his sister.

She glared at him. "What? You're gonna stop me?"

"Who said I'm stopping you?" He raised an eyebrow and tucked his hands inside his jeans' pockets. "I don't give a f*ck about you but I care about my sister. You need revenge? I'll help you."

He swept his arms wide open. "I'll allow you to borrow my Shadow Winds. Their levels are still not up to my standards but dealing with a small cockroach like that psycho b*tch Fan Luo is child's play to them."

"Oh?" She looked delighted. Then she turned to his subordinates, lifting her chin in an arrogant manner. "You heard your boss. From this moment until I get my revenge, you must obey my orders!"

Lu Zihao crossed his arms over his chest and looked at his subordinates.

"Yes, Miss Xiulan! We, the Shadow Winds, shall obey your orders!"

She giggled and clapped her hands. "How wonderful! I can get used to this."

Lu Zihao roughly grabbed her collar. His intense, cold eyes intimidated her, making her cower. "This is for my sister, not for you."

"Big Brother, let go..." Iris' sweet voice returned. The remnant ran back and hid deep within her, frightened by Lu Zihao.

He let go. His expression also softened and became gentle.

His subordinates were confused at what they were witnessing. Why did it feel like their boss was treating Miss Xiulan as two people? Some of them suspected that she might have a split personality. They were curious, but they didn't ask. For people like them, all they needed to do was follow orders.

Although reluctant, Iris took charge. It was the remnant that needed the revenge but it had no abilities or skills to achieve it. It was up to her, Lu Zihao and the Shadow Winds to give it to her.

She and Lu Zihao immediately made a quick but detailed plan for this revenge mission. There were many times that Iris wavered during the process, but the remnant would flood her with feelings of fury and hatred as a way of keeping her in check. She and the remnant reached an odd partnership this way.

After making the plan, everyone prepared to put it into action. Iris gathered the hackers from the group. Fortunately, Lu Zihao already equipped the place with high-performance computers. Of course, they couldn't compare to the ones inside her own computer room but they would suffice for this mission.

Two other groups left the compound to fulfill their assigned roles in the plan.

When Iris started hacking, there were loud gasps.

"Holy f*ck! You're Drakon?!"

"Am I dreaming? It's Drakon...it's really Drakon..."

"Master, please take me in as your disciple!"

Iris ignored them, focused on hacking. They needed to move fast. She discovered that the police already received a signed arrest warrant for Fan Luo. They could arrest her anytime. However, it seemed that the police planned to do it in the morning as a fanfare to the media and the public. In the meantime, the hospital was heavily guarded by the police to prevent her from escaping.

"I forgot to bring my black notebook," she muttered.

"Don't worry, little sister. I took it," Lu Zihao said with a devilish smirk. "Looks like we can finally cross out the names today."

She sighed, not feeling any excitement at all. She wanted this to be over as soon as possible.

"I miss Liwei."

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Chapter 237 - You Can't, But I Can

The revenge mission started.

The first group sent out reached their destination. It was the hospital where Fan Luo was being held. The police security was tight.

But who were the Shadow Winds?

They were people carefully chosen and recruited by Lu Zihao. He only accepted the very best. They may not be at the level of the Vetrovs, but their skills were already top-notch within the country. They just didn't know how to utilize their talents and skills before. It wasn't until Lu Zihao gathered them together and provided them with direction that they learned how to use their full potentials and even go beyond their limits.

With Iris and her hacker team directing them through their earpieces, the group managed to slip past the police security. Iris hacked into the CCTV, flawlessly changing the real time footages with fake ones. She also raised several false alarms in the hospital's system to keep the doctors, nurses and other medical staff busy and away from Fan Luo's room.

The group sent to infiltrate had no choice but to immobilize the police officers standing guard outside Fan Luo's room. True to their namesake, they moved quietly like the shadows and swiftly like the wind. The police officers didn't even know what hit them before they fell unconscious.

Iris also hacked into the police communications system, making sure that the unconscious officers' devices continued to transmit regular updates, so that their superiors wouldn't grow suspicious.

Afterwards, the group pumped knock-out gas through the slit below the door into the room to make sure that everyone inside wouldn't wake up. Then the group kidnapped Fan Luo.

Iris ordered them to take Fan Luo only. As for her mother, Fan Yuming, Iris had a present waiting for her in the morning.

The original Iris didn't care about Fan Yuming, but she did. She watched the surveillance footage of her dissing Jin Liwei, Huang Yuyan and Jin Chonglin. How dare she use her man's family and then insult them like that? She wouldn't let her off so easily.

It wasn't only Fan Luo who had a lot of hidden dirt. Fan Yuming's secrets were also as filthy as her daughter's. Once the sun rose in a few hours, all of Fan Yuming's dirty secrets would be revealed for everyone to see.

Now that Fan Luo was successfully kidnapped, she handed that part of the mission to the other hackers. She then focused on the second part of the mission.

The second group also already arrived at their assigned location. They were on standby, just waiting for her instructions.

It was the house where the Alarm Girls were staying. The lawyer paid by Fan Luo, when he was still representing them, was able to negotiate with the judge to let the girls out of jail and place them in house arrest instead. Of course, Fan Luo was the one paying for all their expenses.

Like what happened in the hospital, the Shadow Winds immobilized the police officers guarding the house. Then they also kidnapped the Alarm Girls just like Fan Luo.

The two groups, carrying their kidnapped targets, made their way back to the Shadow Winds compound.

Iris made sure to completely erase their tracks. With her superior level of skills, the authorities had no chance of finding out who took Fan Luo and the Alarm Girls right under the noses of the police guarding them.

###

7 AM.

Information was deliberately leaked by the police to the media that Fan Luo would be arrested that morning. As a result, a large number of reporters and cameramen stationed themselves outside the hospital, ready to document and broadcast the moment Fan Luo was arrested.

However, everyone was shocked when they found out that Fan Luo was missing. The police condemned the incident, especially since their officers guarding outside Fan Luo's room were knocked unconscious. They also revealed that the hospital's CCTV and even the police's communications system were hacked.

At first, people assumed that Fan Luo must have escaped. However, this was later debunked by the authorities because scandalous information about her mother, Fan Yuming, was spread online.

Fan Yuming had many affairs with several business leaders to obtain advantageous deals for the Fan family. She also pimped her nieces, nephews, even her own children including Fan Luo. She encouraged them to seduce wealthy and powerful people, not only in business but also in politics and other industries such as showbiz.

They were able to climb more quickly in their chosen careers this way and also provided great opportunities for the entire Fan family. Some of them even married their targets, and then later, Fan Yuming persuaded them to get divorce after giving birth to their children. The substantial alimony and child support already set them for life.

There was no need for them to work anymore. They could just enjoy the rest of their lives spending the money they received from their exes. Of course, Fan Yuming also received a share. After all, they wouldn't be able to achieve such wealth without her devious maneuverings.

It was also revealed that Fan Yuming was the one who urged Fan Luo to saddle Jin Chonglin with the responsibility of being a father when her daughter found out that she was pregnant. It was also Fan Yuming who arranged for the doctor to write off Fan Luo's abortion as miscarriage when Jin Chonglin insisted for a DNA test. It turned out that the doctor was one of Fan Yuming's lovers.

There were many other shocking revelations about Fan Yuming. When the people read about them, they were disgusted by her.

"Fan Yuming ran the Fan family like a brothel. She pimped out not only herself but also her own children, nieces and nephews! I've never been so disgusted by a person!"

"Every single member of the Fan family are crooks!"

Of course, the list of powerful people the Fans' slept with was also revealed to the public. It caused a domino effect of scandals to rock the entire nation. Many of these people were leaders in their fields. Many of them were fired or were forced to resign. Their spouses also filed for divorce.

It was utter chaos.

Hawk-eyed hackers recognized the destructive style as Drakon's work, even though the new hacker superstar didn't claim credit this time. Who else could cause so much chaos in a country in just a day?

Because of this scandal involving Fan Yuming and the younger generation of the Fan family, the authorities dismissed the possibility that Fan Luo escaped. If the Fans were really the ones who arranged Fan Luo's escape, why damage their reputation in the process? It was obvious that someone was trying to destroy the Fans to the point of no return.

The police began to treat this as kidnapping. Their conjecture was further strengthened when they discovered that the Alarm Girls also went missing. Similar to Fan Luo's case, the police officers guarding the girls were also knocked out.

The headlines went nuts with wild speculations.

"Fan Luo and Alarm Girls Kidnapped! Will They Still Be Found?"

"Who Kidnapped Fan Luo and the Alarm Girls? The Jins, the Longs, or the Many Newly-Turned Enemies of the Fans?"

"Expect to Find Four Dead Female Bodies Somewhere Soon."

The authorities tried everything to find the women, sending their best detectives and hackers to track them, but it was as if they disappeared into thin air.

As a result, they decided to redirect their focus on Fan Yuming and the rest of the Fans instead, arresting them on prostitution grounds and other charges.

###

While the rest of the nation was in uproar, Iris was with Lu Zihao inside a room he aptly called the "dungeon".

It was originally a cellar as evidenced by the empty wine racks. Now, however, the room was equipped with various torture tools. In short, the cellar was converted into a torture chamber.

The unconscious Fan Luo, Wanwan, Feifei and Mimi were gagged and chained up. The Shadow Winds didn't hurt any of them. They were waiting for Iris' instruction.

Iris looked at them and then at the torture tools.

"I don't think I can do this," she said, shivering.

At that moment, an already familiar flare up of bloodthirst overwhelmed her. She didn't resist and even willingly allowed the remnant to take over this time.

"You can't, but I can."

Her expression turned vicious. There was cruel excitement in her eyes at what she was about to do to the four b*tches in front of her.

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Chapter 238 - Remnan

Screams of agony, hatred and fear filled the entire dungeon.

The Alarm Girls were targeted first. They hadn't even made sense of their current situations yet when they were already howling in pure pain. They were forcefully awakened from their unconscious states when boiling hot water was splashed on the lower half of their bodies.

It would've been better if they didn't wake up at all because the moment they opened their eyes, their worst nightmare began.

The remnant-controlled Iris was like a crazed demoness from hell. She didn't know any proper torture techniques nor did she know how to use the torture instruments available in the room. But it didn't matter. Her maniacal cruelty was enough to inflict the worst pain possible to the Alarm Girls even without following a set method of torture.

"Damn you to hell, Iris Long! You'll pay for this!" Wanwan screeched at her.

Iris cut off her tongue.

Feifei and Wanwan were so frightened that they stopped cursing and screaming.

"P-please...forgive us! We were wrong...we shouldn't h-have gone against y-you... Please Iris...d-don't this to us," Feifei begged.

Iris also cut off her tongue.

"Nooooo!" Meimei shrieked. "S-stay away from me! You're not human! You're a devil!"

Iris froze. The cruel expression on her face was replaced by horror. The bloody knife in her hand clattered to the floor. She staggered back and started trembling. Then she doubled over, falling to her knees. She groaned as she tried to wrestle for control against the bloodthirsty remnant within her.

Lu Zihao ran to her and pulled her in his arms.

"N-no. I don't want to d-do this..."

She cried out as her expression kept on changing. Tears ran down her eyes. The remnant within her was drunk with the scent of blood. It was far from appeased yet. It wanted more cruelty and violence in order to satisfy its desire for revenge.

However, Iris couldn't stomach such brutality, especially since it was done by her own hands. As she continued fighting against the crazed remnant within her, the disconnect between her and her body was dangerously reaching its limit. If the struggle continued, the connection would snap.

The remnant battered against her will. It was like trying to restrain an out of control wild beast with nothing but her own body. Reasoning with it was futile.

Lu Zihao somehow sensed the dangerous situation within her. Panic flooded him and he shook Iris. "No! Little sister, listen to me!"

Her consciousness was gradually fading away, but she still forced herself to look at her brother. It felt like some phantom white mist was melting the connection between her and the body, trying to suck her away into a world of nothingness.

"Don't fight against it. Let it get its revenge," he told her in a desperate tone. Cold fear enveloped him seeing her eyes slowly losing the light of life. No! He wasn't going to lose his sister a second time! "Please, Evelinka. Let go just this once. Consider this as a gift to the original Long Xiulan for letting you use her body."

Iris held onto her consciousness, struggling to hear her brother's words. It felt like she was drowning, big and angry waves buffeting against her, pulling her down to the dark depths. Her brother was now her only lifeline.

"Remember, it's not you. Treat your body like you're sharing a car with another driver. Even if the other driver runs over and kills someone using your shared car, it doesn't mean that you're also guilty of the same crime. You're not the one driving that time." Lu Zihao patted her cheek, but when she didn't respond, he slapped her instead to keep her awake. "Little sister! Listen to me! Don't fight against it this time! Otherwise...no!"

"Big brother..." she said in a weak, almost inaudible voice. Then her eyes fluttered close.

"No! Evelinka! Wake up! Are you really going to end this second life of yours like this?! What about Jin Liwei?! Are you going to leave him?!"

Her eyes snapped open. "Liwei... I...I want Liwei...I m-miss him..."

"That's right. You have to live if you want to be with him. And in order for you to live, you have to do this. Little sister, let it out."

"Liwei..."

The image of Jin Liwei pulled her from the tentacles of the white mist, dissipating them. Her heart thundered inside her chest, as if urging her to get this done as soon as possible so that she could return to her man.

She became alert again. Sensing her change of heart, the remnant within her became excited, battering against her more forcefully to be let out.

Her eyes narrowed.

'I'll let you have this revenge, but after this, give me full control of this body.'

There were no words, but she sensed the impatient assent of the remnant.

'Fine.' She sighed and withdrew herself inside, allowing the remnant to once again take control of her body.

The moment the remnant took over, Lu Zihao immediately knew that the woman in his arms wasn't his sister anymore. His expression became cold and he let go of her, almost pushing her away from him like a dirty piece of garbage. He stood up and walked to a wall, leaning his back against it with his hands tucked inside the pockets of his jeans.

His subordinates witnessed everything that happened. Although they couldn't understand their conversation because they were speaking in Russian, they could see that Miss Xiulan showed two different personalities and that their leader treated the personalities differently. It seemed that Miss Xiulan really did have split personality.

The cruel and bloodthirsty Iris was back. She picked up the bloody knife from the floor and proceeded to cut off Meimei's tongue as well, ignoring the pleas of forgiveness.

She broke their fingers and several other bones in their bodies. Then she destroyed their faces, completely shattering their pride in their appearances. To celebrities like them, it was the biggest and the most painful blow. As a result, they stopped struggling, surrendering themselves to their tragic fates. They now lost their will to live, wishing instead for the quick release of death.

However, they were bound to be disappointed. Iris had no intention of killing them. She wanted them to suffer while alive.

The remnant wasn't the original Iris. It was only a part of her remaining in the body like muscle memory. However, this part was very potent, made up of extreme emotions and memories. In this case, it was made up of pure desire for revenge against the original Iris' enemies.

Unfortunately, the original Iris' enmity against the Alarm Girls were stamped too deeply from their years of clashing against each other. Even though the Alarm Girls didn't cause her death, hatred was hatred so they needed to be punished. The remnant wasn't able to realize for itself that its punishment was too extreme for the level of the girls' offenses.

The remnant was like a final security command after its original owner's death. It was on autopilot mode with a single mission to avenge its original owner. Until it achieved its purpose, it wouldn't allow anyone else to gain full control of its owner's body.

Iris continued to torture them without mercy that even some members of the Shadow Winds couldn't help but recoil. Most of them weren't strangers to torturing others, but when they did, it was methodical and mostly for the purpose of obtaining information. In this case, however, Iris was just torturing the girls for the sake of inflicting pain and making them suffer.

She only stopped when the Alarm Girls lost consciousness due to extreme pain. They finally reached the limits that they could take.

"Hmph! How weak," she spat at them in derision.

Then her eyes zeroed in on the still unconscious Fan Luo. This time, her eyes flashed with extreme loathing. This was her murderer!

"Fan Luo!!!" she roared and pounced.

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Chapter 239 - Clicked Into Place

Fan Luo was harder to break than the Alarm Girls. No matter how hard the remnant-controlled Iris beat her up, she refused to give in.

"Hah! Who do you think you are? You're nothing but a sl*t, Iris Long! Even if you cut off my head, I will NEVER grovel at your feet! Ahahaha!"

"F*ck you, Fan Luo! I'm gonna kill you, you f*cking wh*re!"

"Go ahead and kill me, b*tch! I despise you so much that if you don't kill me, I'll f*cking find a way to kill you! I had the perfect man! I had everything! But because of you, I lost it all!"

Fan Luo continued to taunt Iris, even when she was no longer recognizable with all the blood and ugly wounds covering her once fair skin. Unfortunately, the remnant-controlled Iris was easily taunted. She lost her temper and proceeded to beat up Fan Luo harder.

The two cursed and threw insults at each other. Didn't they know that to those watching them right now, they were like two peas in a pod? Both were cruel, vicious and conceited.

Lu Zihao watched everything in silence without any change in his cold expression. He didn't give a f*ck for this Iris. She wasn't his sister. He wouldn't care even if this woman murdered these four b*tches. His only worry was that doing so would traumatize his sister.

So even if it wasn't obvious, he was actually monitoring the tortured women's states, ready to interrupt the moment they were about to die. They could die for all he cared, but they must not die in his sister's presence.

His sister needed to resolve this issue with her body's remnant so that she could have a chance to live this second life of hers in peace.

The remnant-controlled Iris and Fan Luo continued their pathetic battle of wills. They were made in the same cloth. Perhaps if the original Iris lived, she might end up becoming someone like Fan Luo. Or perhaps not. Who could know exactly what could've been?

Lu Zihao thought it ironic that these two civilian women were so vicious compared to his own little sister who was the one originally born into the number one criminal family in the international Underworld.

Criminals were made, not born. It was one's own decision to become a criminal, not because one was born to.

Take for example his little sister. Like all of the Vetrovs, she was trained since young to become cold-blooded and to throw away her compassion. However, she resisted, refusing to take the path the Vetrovs arranged for her.

That was why the family had no choice but to shelter her in order to protect her. At the end of the day, she was still a Vetrov and they couldn't just abandon her to the outside world where she could be targeted by their enemies. Besides, they never stopped hoping that she would one day change her mind and decide to help run the organization. She was a genius and a world-class hacker, after all. It would be a great boost to their power if she joined them. However, it never happened because all of them were annihilated.

Lu Zihao's eyes turned colder at the memories of his past life, his aura emitting danger. His subordinates sensed his cold fury, instantly becoming alert and cautious around him.

As for the two vicious women, there were no clear winners. Even though Fan Luo was in agony and in extreme pain due to her injuries, she never admitted defeat. Her eyes were still full of challenge, continuing to provoke Iris.

"B*tch!"

Iris couldn't take it anymore. She gouged Fan Luo's eyes out and broke her jaw with a bat. Only then was a sense of satisfaction could be seen on her expression.

She turned to the Shadow Winds and ordered them, "Throw the Alarm Girls back to the police. I don't care about them anymore. As for this b*tch," she spat as she looked at the bloody Fan Luo, kicking her several times. "Tie her up to a car. Destroy the brakes."

The Shadow Winds didn't respond, looking at Lu Zihao instead.

"What the f*ck are you still waiting for?! Have you forgotten that you are to follow my orders?!" Iris was enraged that her orders were being disregarded.

"Sh*t up," Lu Zihao rebuked her in a cold voice.

She immediately cowered and stepped back, frightened by him.

But still he instructed his subordinates, "Do as she says."

"Yes, boss!"

While they carried out the orders, Iris escaped from the room, afraid of Lu Zihao. It was still the remnant controlling the body.

The other Shadow Winds members avoided her. They already concluded that she had a split personality, and the current personality was the one their leader hated. They followed Lu Zihao's lead and ignored the remnant-controlled Iris.

Iris' torture of the Alarm Girls and Fan Luo took almost the entire daytime. Most of them were exhausted and hungry because they stayed up ever since the mission started all throughout the entire torture.

However, the remnant didn't care about food or rest at the moment. All it cared about was completing its revenge.

The barely alive Wanwan, Feifei and Mimi were packed in a vehicle and dumped back to an area close to a police station far from the Shadow Winds compound. The other hackers had no choice but to lead this part of the mission because it seemed that Miss Xiulan's other personality who was also the great hacker Drakon wasn't coming out to take care of this herself.

As for the now blind, mute and cripple Fan Luo, she was strapped inside another car. A Shadow Winds member drove her out of the compound. Iris, Lu Zihao and some of his subordinates followed in additional vehicles.

They drove quite far in a remote rural area. It was a hilly forest. Finally, they all stopped and got out of the vehicles.

The remnant-controlled Iris walked to the other car. The window was down, so she could see Fan Luo who didn't even look like a human anymore. Surprisingly, she was still conscious and whimpering in pain.

Iris leaned down. "Now, I'll give you a taste of what you made me go through during that car crash. An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth. Whether you live or die today will depend on your fate. I won't care about you anymore. Goodbye, Fan Luo. May you rot wherever you end up at."

Then she stepped back and allowed the Shadow Winds to modify the car's controls.

Moments later, the car sped along the dirt road. Fan Luo was inside by herself.

BOOM!

The car crashed against a rocky cliffside.

A smile lifted Iris' lips, her eyes glinting in satisfaction. Then her expression changed. Tears began to roll down her face. Her knees buckled but Lu Zihao caught her before she fell to the ground.

"Big brother..." Iris buried her face against his chest.

"I'm here. You're alright now. It's not you who did all these things," he told her, rubbing his hand on her back, soothing her. "Don't cry. They're not worth your tears."

Iris cried hard, her whole body shaking. She felt tainted by all the experience, especially since she retained all the memories during the torture.

Despite this, there was a sense of relief within her. It felt as if a great load was lifted from her shoulders. She had no idea whether the remnant was still in her body or not. She couldn't sense it anymore, but that didn't mean that it was completely gone.

Nevertheless, it was as if something clicked into place inside her, like a puzzle piece finally fitting in. She felt it. The body was now starting to accept her more fully.

Now that this revenge was finally over, exhaustion started catching up to her.

"Big Brother, I feel—"

She fainted before she could even finish what she was going to say.

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Chapter 240 - Alibi

Shocking headlines bombarded the nation one after another. The media outlets were having a field day pumping out articles, broadcasting news reports and interviews almost without any break. The police were also very busy.

Three days had passed since Fan Luo and the Alarm Girls were discovered after two separate police stations were tipped by anonymous callers. The police still didn't have any leads as to who might be the perpetrators who kidnapped and tortured the four women.

All useful clues were wiped away. It seemed that the perpetrators had a formidable hacker erasing their tracks. Even the crashed car in which Fan Luo was strapped in was untraceable. It was an amazing work of engineering, pieced together from different auto parts. Some of the parts were even self-made. Any serial numbers or other identifying codes in the car were erased.

At the moment, the four women were in the hospital.

The Alarm Girls had serious injuries but they would recover in time. However, the severity of their torture traumatized them to the point that their psychological states were permanently damaged. Even if they recovered physically, they were no longer well enough to face their pending court trials. They would most likely be sent to a mental institution for the rest of their lives instead.

As for Fan Luo, her condition was much worse than the Alarm Girls. She suffered serious brain damage and fell into coma. Even if a miracle happened and she woke up, her life would only be a living hell. She was not only disfigured but also blinded, muted and crippled. She wouldn't be able to function normally anymore.

Not to mention that she was currently the most hated woman in the country besides her mother, Fan Yuming. If she woke up, she would need to face the legal punishment for her crimes and spend the rest of her life inside prison.

In response to the news about what Fan Luo and the Alarm Girls went through, the people's opinions were mixed.

"Fan Luo and the Alarm Girls deserve it! They're evil! This is retribution for their crimes! This is justice!"

"Although I agree that Fan Luo deserves it, I don't think that the Alarm Girls' crimes justify the torture they experienced. This is too extreme."

"Yes, Fan Luo is evil. She's a murderer! The Alarm Girls were also malicious for what they've done, but their crimes aren't grave enough to warrant torture! Nobody deserves to be tortured! Not the Alarm Girls, not even Fan Luo! Fan Luo is a criminal but nobody has the right to torture her. Let the law decide the appropriate punishment for her crimes and bring legal justice to her victims! The people who tortured them must be condemned! They're not heroes but criminals!"

Amidst this debate of whether the four women deserved their tragic fates or not, the people also speculated as to who might be the one who kidnapped and tortured them.

The most popular suspects were Jin Chonglin and the Jins, Iris Long and the Longs, Fan Luo's other victims and their families, and also the now disgraced industry leaders who had sexual affairs with her and the other members of the Fan family.

Of course, the Black Stars and Jin Chonglin's army of fans wouldn't stay quiet while their Boss Iris and Prince Lin Lin were being suspected. A partnership between the two fan clubs formed to defend their boss and prince.

While Jin Chonglin reassured his fans through his blog, there was still no updates from Iris Long. The ones suspecting her used her absence to prove their point.

It was at this moment that Bright Summit released an official statement.

"We have received official confirmation that Iris Long is not in the country. She is currently recuperating at a private hospital abroad. The trauma of discovering the real cause of her accident two years ago triggered a health relapse. As for those who are doubting her innocence, we, Bright Summit Entertainment Company, stand behind our artist. We believe that she is innocent and incapable of the accusations being thrown at her. We also believe that she is one of the biggest victims in this entire affair, so shame on all of those who are still accusing her. We do not understand why people can continue to defend the criminals while accusing the real victim. We hope that Iris Long recovers and returns to grace us with her talent. We are all waiting for you, Iris Long!"

JJ's record label also echoed Bright Summit's sentiments.

After some time, the police officially cleared Jin Chonglin and Iris Long from the accusations of harming Fan Luo and the Alarm Girls. Jin Chonglin had a strong alibi. He stayed with his mother and grandmother at the Jin Family's Old House the whole time.

As for Iris Long, several people also stepped forward to vouch for her innocence. Most of them were airport and airline employees who swore that they witnessed Iris Long stepping into a plane to leave the country. They said that this happened just a couple of hours after the revelation of Fan Luo's crimes. Meaning, there was no way that Iris Long was the one who kidnapped and tortured Fan Luo and the Alarm Girls because she wasn't even in the country during that time. Airport records and CCTV footage also supported Iris Long's alibi.

Unbeknownst to the people, these were all arranged by Jin Liwei and Lu Zihao.

Jin Liwei used his influence to pay the airport and the airline employees to create an alibi for Iris. It wasn't that hard because these people had family members who were beneficiaries of Jin Corporation's foundation. Their gratitude to the foundation made them willing to help him make up an alibi. Jin Corporation was also a major investor of the airline.

Lu Zihao's team of hackers planted the fake records and CCTV footage. They might not be on Drakon's level, but they were still skilled hackers who were better than KeymonSTER.

After securing Iris' alibi, Jin Liwei and Lu Zihao continued to speak on the phone.

"Is she okay? Can I see her?" Jin Liwei asked.

"Yeah, she's fine," Lu Zihao replied. "If she wants to see you, she'll tell you herself."

"Is she really out of the country? Can you tell me where she is?"

"Yeah. She's not in China anymore. I can't tell you where. You have to wait until she tells you herself. Grandpa took her somewhere. Don't worry. She'll be alright. The old man won't let anything bad happen to her."

Jin Liwei sighed. Intense longing for his baby girl weighed down on his heart, making it hard for him to live each day without her.

'Be patient. She promised that she'll come back, so she will,' he persuaded himself.

After speaking with his Fifth Brother, Jin Liwei tried calling his baby girl's phone but failed yet again. He missed her so much that it hurt.

"Meow~"

Ice Cream and Popcorn rubbed themselves against him. He petted them and nuzzled against them.

"You miss Mommy, right? Me too. Let's wait for her to come back. Hopefully soon."

These days, the kittens were always with him. Without their Mommy, they only felt safe with their Daddy. They refused to leave his side. As a result, he brought them wherever he went, even when he went to work at Jin Corporation. The first time he brought them to the company, his employees couldn't believe their eyes.

Their frigid President actually brought KITTENS to work! Kittens! The adorable, furry creatures known to enslave humans with their irresistible cuteness.

Not only that, he carried the fat grey one in his arms, stroking it in a loving manner, while the hyperactive orange kitten ran around everywhere. Two personal cat sitters followed them.

"Young Master Popcorn! Please don't run around. You might get lost!" the cat sitter called while chasing after the orange kitten.

The other cat sitter informed Jin Liwei, "Master, it is now time for Young Miss Ice Cream's snack. Please give her to me so that I can feed her."

The minds of Jin Liwei's employees, including Xu Tian, went blank.

'Young Master Popcorn? Young Miss Ice Cream? What in the world?!'

Jin Liwei noticed their stares. His eyes turned even colder.

"Ice Cream and Popcorn are my children. You must treat them with utmost respect. If I learn that any of you harmed my children in any way, say goodbye to your jobs," he told them.

Their eyes almost popped out of their heads.

'Ch-children?!!!'

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