Leopold's heart lurched painfully, as if a nerve had been severed. He clutched Kevin's collar, "What about the girl? Is she in the hospital? Is she hurt?"
"Mr. Leopold, calm down. The girl's alright, but the homeless man took a blow to the head," Kevin said.
"He deserves it!"
A glint surfaced in Leopold's eyes, cold and revengeful.
He rushed off to the police station immediately.
Based on information from the police, it was fairly certain that the girl was Aurelia.
"Mr. Leopold, the police mentioned that she was with a man. Could it possibly be Arnold? After all, he's the only one Ms. Aurelia could turn to for help in Paris," Kevin suggested cautiously.
Leopold's lips tightened. Although she was safe for now, his mind was in a tumult.
"Start tracking Arnold immediately."
"Yes, sir."
...
Aurelia hadn't expected Arnold to take her to Provence.
The sight of the endless lavender fields under the moonlight was breathtaking.
"Wow, it's beautiful!"
"I knew you'd like it here," Arnold said with a smile.
"He who knows me, Arnold indeed," she teased, sticking out her tongue. The earlier gloom seemed to have vanished.
Arnold owned a vineyard here and would come for vacation every summer.
After having something to eat, she retired to her room and sank into the soft bed.
It had been a day full of shocking events. Thinking back, it was quite unnerving.
She gently stroked her slightly protruding belly.
Thankfully, the babies were alright.
They were strong, so strong that it made her more reluctant to part from them.
Even if she couldn't be with them, she didn't want to be too far away.
She would definitely not stay abroad. Not even if it killed her.
Before long, she fell asleep.
She woke up to the bright morning light.
Pulling back the curtains, she saw the morning sun casting a golden glow over the lavender fields, like a purple haze rolling in the wind.
"I'll just watch," Aurelia stuck out her tongue. After the exhausting day before, she didn't want to risk any harm to the babies.
Arnold picked a grape and handed it to her, "Try it."
She popped it into her mouth. It was incredibly sweet, giving her a burst of inspiration.
But she couldn't go back to Astral Enterprises anymore. Leopold would probably fire her.
When she got back to her home country, she would have to find a new job as soon as possible, or her brother wouldn't be able to afford his medication.
A chill swept over her heart at the thought.
In the afternoon, Arnold took her to the town, where she bought some souvenirs for her family. By the time they returned, it was already dusk.
Arnold went to the winery, and she decided to go to the vineyard alone and pick some grapes for herself.
The villagers had already gone home, leaving her alone in the vineyard.
She picked a couple of bunches of grapes when she heard footsteps nearby.
Thinking it was Arnold, she turned around with a smile, "Do you want to..."
Her words and smile froze, replaced by a sense of dread.
The tall figure cast a large shadow that engulfed her completely.
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