Chapter 223: Chapter 223: Alice

His voice turned sharp, laced with warning.

“It would be better if you didn’t interfere in the matters of wealthy families. Otherwise, you won’t even have the chance to regret it before you pay the price.”

Lana didn’t argue. She simply flicked her finger.

In the next instant, a thread of yellow mystic energy shot forward and seeped straight into the guard’s body.

His eyes widened as agony tore through him. His muscles locked, veins bulging as his body began to convulse violently.

A hoarse groan escaped his throat as he dropped to one knee, unable to control himself.

Shock slammed into him.

The guards of wealthy families were never ordinary. They either possessed super strength at level ten or held dual abilities.

He himself had super speed and super strength at level five. Even spiritual cultivators usually needed someone a level higher to suppress him. Yet this woman had taken him down effortlessly.

Before he could process the humiliation, the mansion doors swung open.

A man and a woman stepped out.

The moment they appeared, arrogance radiated from them like a second skin.

Behind Lana, the boy, Luke, clutched her clothes even tighter. His fingers trembled as he whispered desperately, “Please… take me away. Don’t let me fall into their hands.”

Lana didn’t respond verbally. She didn’t need to. Her duty was clear. The mission she had accepted was, at its core, a rescue.

The request had been vague… Help me… and the reward was a staggering one hundred and fifty credits, something she couldn’t earn even after grinding missions for days. Now, seeing the situation unfold, everything made sense.

She tightened her grip on Luke’s hand and lifted her gaze to the man and woman. “Then I’ll take my leave,” she repeated calmly.

The man suddenly froze, his eyes narrowing as recognition dawned. “Lana?” he called out.

She stiffened for a fraction of a second.

He smirked. “I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me. So it really is you.”

His gaze turned sharp. “What are you doing here? Do Mr. and Mrs. Almond know you’ve started kidnapping people now?”

Lana laughed, the sound light yet cutting.

“I severed my relationship with the Almond family a long time ago. Don’t tell me Mr. and Mrs. Everhart don’t know that.”

Mr. Everhart’s expression hardened. Of cour,se he knew. News within this residential area spread faster than wildfire, especially the scandal about the Almond family swapping babies at birth.

It had dominated headlines for two whole days. He had thought invoking the Almond family’s name would intimidate her.

Now, looking at her unwavering stance, he realized that was a miscalculation.

He lowered his head slightly, adjusted his rimless glasses, and spoke evenly.

“I’m willing to pay one million dollars. Walk away. Say nothing about what you’ve seen.”

Lana laughed again, sharper this time. “Even if you offered ten million, I wouldn’t agree.”

The woman beside him, Mrs. Everhart, shot Lana a venomous glare. “If you’re going to act so tough, then let’s see how Mr. and Mrs. Almond respond to this.”

She immediately pulled out her phone and began dialing.

Lana rolled her eyes. Of course.

She knew of the Everharts. They had two sons, one fourteen, one seventeen. They also owned a company that allowed people to hire priests, celestial masters, and similar figures, making them powerful and well-connected.

Countless people sought their favor. Even the Almond family once dreamed of forming ties with them.

But Lana had no intention of wasting time.

She firmly held Luke’s hand and started walking away.

Her unyielding back and resolute steps steadied Luke’s racing heart. The warmth of her hand seeped into his icy fingers, grounding him. ’I’m saved,’ he thought, walking close beside her.

Just as they reached the entrance, guards swarmed in from all directions, forming a human wall.

Lana stopped.

By now, she understood this situation was far more complicated than it appeared.

Still, she had no intention of leaving a fourteen-year-old child behind. Once, she too had been desperate to escape. Now that she had the power to intervene, how could she turn away?

Luke didn’t look like a villain. His frail body seemed as though a strong wind could knock him over.

From behind the guards, she heard familiar, sickening voices.

“We’ll take care of Lana,” Mr. and Mrs. Almond assured the Everharts smoothly. “You don’t need to waste your energy.”

Lana felt nauseous. She turned around.

Sure enough, Mr. and Mrs. Almond stood there.

It had been over a year since she had last seen her so-called parents. The moment they spotted her, their expressions shifted into cold sternness.

Mrs. Almond, Alice, stepped forward, her gaze sharp and disapproving. “Lana,” she said icily, “have you forgotten your manners?”

With that, Alice lifted her hand to slap Lana.

The sharp movement cut through the air, but before her palm could land, Lana caught Alice’s wrist effortlessly.

Her grip tightened instantly, firm and merciless, squeezing until Alice felt a violent tremor surge through her hand. Pain shot up her arm like electricity.

Alice gritted her teeth, her jaw stiff as stone, and glared at Lana with eyes filled with venom. “Let go,” she hissed.

Even as pain gnawed at her bones, she forced herself to stand straight, shoulders squared, refusing to let her composure crack.

Lana chuckled softly.

’This is Alice,’ she thought calmly. ’Cruel to everyone… including herself.’ Even while suffering, Alice would cling to dignity as if her life depended on it.

Lana tilted her head slightly, her smile widening just a fraction. “Who gave you the permission,” she asked lightly, “to even think about slapping me?”

On the other side, Luke stood frozen. Surrounded by guards and unfamiliar adults, fear seeped into his bones.

His body began to shiver uncontrollably. ’Am I really going to get out of here?’ the thought echoed desperately in his mind.

Suddenly, the crow on Lana’s shoulder fluttered into the air and landed gently on Luke’s shoulder.

Luke stiffened in shock.

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