Lyca imdiately hugged Marceline when she reached her spot. She badly needed a friend's comfort. She had been through a lot of emotional stress lately and now her grandfather fell ill.
Lyca didn't say a word but she just let her feel that she was there for Marceline. It was already late at night but she still went to see Marceline to accompany her at this mont.
Marceline felt touched because of Lyca's and Kira's genuine concern for her. She couldn't hide the bitterness she felt whenever she would rember that her own Uncle was the one who took away her chance to have a complete family.
The negative emotions already accumulated in her heart, stirring her inside as if all she wanted to do was to burst out.
"What happened to Grandpa Roland?" Lyca asked her sympathetically. Then she turned around, looking for soone. "Why are you alone? Where are your Uncle and cousins? They are supposed to be here."
Marceline's expression dimd at the ntion of Ronan. Her reaction didn't escape Lyca's observant eyes. At that certain mont, she could tell that Marceline and her Uncle were not on good terms.
'Did they fight, causing Grandpa Roland to collapse?' Lyca pondered to herself, feeling sorry for her best friend.
"Hey, what's wrong? Tell … I'm willing to listen." Lyca urged Marceline to share her thoughts. She grabbed her hand, pulling Marceline to the nearby bench. They sat down, facing each other.
"It's a long story. I don't want you to get involved as this is our family problem–"
"But I'm part of your family! I'm your sister… your spiritual sister!" Lyca cut her off imdiately.
Marceline didn't know whether to laugh or scold her best friend for being so corny. "Spiritual sister? Where did you get that idea?"
Lyca pointed her forefinger at her head and shalessly said, "From my brilliant mind!"
Because of Lyca's cheerful vibe, Marceline finally smiled, easing up a little. She knew that Lyca would not stop until she could make her talk.
"I would feel upset if you don't want to talk to about your concern. Don't take all the burdens, share them with !" Lyca demanded.
Marceline sighed deeply. She didn't know how she would tell Lyca what happened eighteen years ago without ntioning werewolves. She wanted to omit that part.
In the end, she just focused on telling Lyca that her Uncle had sothing to do with the tragic incident eighteen years ago. She lost her parents because of her Uncle's greed for power and wealth.
Lyca was utterly astounded when she heard Marceline's story. Ronan had the motive to hire soone to assassinate Marceline's parents. That's what Lyca was thinking as of this mont.
Little did she know, Marceline's Uncle didn't hire an assassin but he colluded with the supernatural creatures like werewolves!
"Oh my God… I've never imagined that Uncle Ronan could do this to his own brother… to your parents…" Lyca gasped. There was a hint of disbelief in her eyes.
"The one who is capable and has a great chance to betray soone is not the stranger but the person closest to you… That's the reason betrayal can shatter and crush your whole being in an instant…" Marceline mumbled while lowering her head as she clenched her fists.
"I decided to take the power away from him so I told grandpa that I could now assu the highest position and responsibility in the Zhou Empire. He made the Chairman as he stepped down from his position…" Marceline paused for a mont, appreciating the thought Grandpa Roland yielded on her request.
Grandpa Roland proved how much he loved his granddaughter. He doted on her like she was the center of his life, giving her all she wanted, and pampering her to the core. So she was shaken when her grandfather collapsed right in front of her. For her, Grandpa Roland was the only family she had left. As for her Uncle, she hated him so much.
Marceline continued, "And this night, I confronted Ronan, revealing the truth to my grandfather. But I didn't expect… grandpa would collapse after knowing the truth. I feel like it's my fault that Grandpa fell ill–"
"No! It's not your fault. Don't say that!" Lyca interrupted Marceline once more.
Lyca was about to say sothing more when the door of the operating room slid open and the doctor wearing her surgical gown ca out.
Marceline stood up right away, tracing her steps towards the doctor. "Doc, how's my grandpa?" The deep concern for her grandfather was reflected in her erald eyes.
"Miss Zhou, the surgery went well. But your grandfather has a weak body. He already had a heart complication and his illness worsened. I bet the patient is not taking his dicine regularly that it led to this. We will move him now in the ICU. He is still in the critical stage. We will continue monitoring his condition. Let's pray that he can wake up within 48 hours. If he can't, his life will–"
"STOP!" Marceline didn't want to hear the doctor's next words. "My grandpa is a strong man. Nothing bad will happen to him."
Marceline was trying to put up her brave front but deep inside, she felt like she was going to crumble and fall down. Fortunately, Lyca was there, holding her hand as her doctor friend continued comforting her through her gestures.
"Yes, Young Miss," the doctor gave her a reassuring smile. He liked Marceline's optimism.
Without delaying any more ti, the doctor and the nurses transferred Grandpa Roland to the Intensive Care Unit. Marceline and Lyca followed them.
Unknown to Marceline and Lyca, Evelyn heard the doctor's words as she was secretly standing just a few ters away from them a while ago.
Evelyn smiled inwardly, watching Marceline's back until she vanished from her sight.
'This is good news. There is no guarantee that the old man can still wake up after this surgery.'
"Strike the iron while it's hot!" Evelyn mumbled, flashing a sinister smile on her face. The obedient, sweet, and kind-hearted woman was long gone. She was now slowly unleashing her true colors.
Evelyn turned around, going in the opposite direction where Lyca and Marceline disappeared to. She found a better spot wherein she could talk to soone without worrying about people overhearing their conversation.
Evelyn chose the rooftop's hospital. She had been standing there for ten minutes when a man in a black suit joined her. That man was the head of the Zhou Family Guards.
"Mada…" the head guard politely greeted Evelyn.
Evelyn just motioned him to co closer.
"I am giving you a special mission. This ti you have to do your job properly. I want Marceline Celeste Zhou to disappear forever. Get rid of her at all costs!"
Since the Zhou Patriarch was now lying on the sickbed without a guarantee of recovering, Evelyn had decided to make her move.
'Kill her now before she can strike back,' She thought to herself.
She knew that Marceline was at her weakest right now. Her grandpa was one of her weaknesses. Marceline would be distracted because of her grandfather's grave condition, so Evelyn wanted to grab this opportunity to eliminate Marceline for good.
"Since she already missed her parents, why not let her join them in the afterlife?" Evelyn mumbled, laughing wickedly at the thought of Marceline dying tonight.
"Okay, Mada. Just leave this to and my n. This ti we will not fail you."
Evelyn nodded her head. "I want this done tonight. Don't leave any evidence. Make it look like a suicide. We will tell the public that she commits suicide after blaming herself for what happened to her grandfather."
"Noted, Mada. We will do it as you say."
"Alright. I will not keep you here. Go now and prepare."
The head guard left right away after getting Evelyn's order. After so many years of moving in the shadows, Evelyn was able to gain loyalty and support from the people working for the Zhou Family. She's good at working as a spy for the werewolf clan, specifically under the White Claw Pack in which Cedric was the Alpha.
She had sworn her loyalty to them as she was saved by Vladimir before. She was indebted to him so she promised to do everything to serve her master.
Thirty years ago, she infiltrated the Zhou Family by getting closer to Ronan. The Zhou Family was the only gatekeeper who didn't swear allegiance to the werewolf clan as they remained neutral.
They allowed the vampires to pass through the portal gate to flee from the Kingdom of Phantasia. If the vampires stayed there, they would either be killed or beco slaves by ruthless werewolves. Their only choice was to flee and hide in the human world. And the Zhou Family helped them.
That's where Evelyn ca into the picture. She was assigned to seduce one of the mbers of the Zhou Family and to marry him. She needed to beco part of the Zhou Family.
She used Ronan's weakness and insecurity to her advantage. After eting Evelyn, Ronan started to change little by little until he beca more greedy for power. She made him think that Marceline's father was Ronan's mortal enemy.
She made him believe that he needed to compete with his brother and beco the Head of the Zhou Family soday. She manipulated Ronan until he fell into the pit of darkness with no return.
She used Ronan as a weapon in killing Marceline's parents, the new lead gatekeepers of the Zhou Family. When Marceline's parents died, the werewolf clan succeeded in making the Zhou Family under their control.
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