Men flashed wicked glances at Niamh as they walked past her, some even wolf-whistling at her.
Kendrick’s gaze grew cold. Seeing a few men make their way toward Niamh, he reached out to take her hand.
Niamh stared at the unfazed man in shock as warmth engulfed her hand.
“They probably won’t try anything if I hold your hand,” Kendrick responded reasonably.
Not wanting to argue, Niamh did not struggle against his hold.
They had come to search for Felicity, so she did not want to attract more problems.
Not to mention, for some reason unbeknownst to her, this was the first time she felt how warm Kendrick’s hands were.
Not too long later, Niamh and Kendrick entered a bar and searched for a bartender who went by the name Vodka.
Having paid a satisfying sum, Niamh handed over an image of Felicity. “Help me find this woman.”
The bartender took the image and glanced at Niamh again curiously with a smile. “I knew you looked familiar when you walked in. You’re in luck. The woman you’re looking for is right there.”
He pointed behind Niamh and Kendrick.
Both Niamh and Kendrick turned to look in the direction the bartender was pointing and found a familiar figure in the circle of drinking and boxing men.
However, before they could take a better look at the woman thanks to the intersecting lights of the bar shining into their eyes, they saw her look down at her phone before leaving.
Niamh and Kendrick immediately rushed after her. Chasing to the entrance, a man who smelled heavily of alcohol came to stand in front of Niamh. “Hey, girl. It’s been a while and you look prettier already. I’m free tonight, so how about we go have some fun in a hotel tonight?”
Niamh was certain that the man had mistaken her for Felicity. She was about to speak when Kendrick reached out to take her hand. He gave the man a cold glare. “You have the wrong person.”
“How could I have the wrong person? Did you forget, baby? We were having so much fun on the bed last time—”
Bang!
“Ow!”
Kendrick sent a punch to the man’s face for he could no longer take the vulgar slander.
The man shouted and cupped his face in pain.
“Let’s go, Nia.” Kendrick took her hand and turned to leave.
They had barely made two steps when the man behind them began to curse expletives at them.
Neither of them paid him any heed as they exited to the street to chase after Felicity. However, they soon heard a mixed cacophony of footsteps behind them. Turning to look, they saw the man who Kendrick had just punched chasing after them with a bunch of other ferocious-looking men.
“Go back to the hotel first, Nia. I’ll deal with this.” Kendrick let go of Niamh.
He did not expect Niamh to grab his hand again the next second. “There are all sorts of people here willing to do almost anything. Killing is nothing to them. It’s not worth the risk, so let’s just leave.”
Seeing the people grow closer, Kendrick nodded and tightened his hand as they ran toward the street.
“Chase after them!”
“Get that young fellow and hit him! I want him dead!”
“Save that woman for me!”
A yell sounded from the man behind.
The two ran quite the distance when they found people blocking their way in front. Niamh looked around and pulled Kendrick into an alleyway.
Heavy footsteps sounded by their ears as well as the men’s shouts and curses.
“F*ck! They must be in front! Catch them! I’ll kill him for stealing my woman!”
It was only when the footsteps were a distance away that Niamh and Kendrick stood from behind the pile of debris.
“Come on.” Niamh dragged Kendrick in the direction opposite of where the men ran.
Walking on the busy street, Niamh realized belatedly that snow had begun to flutter.
She loosened her and Kendrick’s intertwined hands. “I don’t think we’re going to find Felicity today. Let’s just go back to the hotel instead.”
Kendrick nodded as he balled his fist to savor the lingering warmth. “Let’s go.”
Niamh walked toward the street to hail a cab when her eyes fell on a flower stall at the end of the street.
She walked over and held up a bouquet of baby’s breath, her eyes softening. “Baby’s breath had always been Lillian’s favorite flowers.”
Kendrick’s heart clenched as he pulled out his wallet to buy the bouquet.
Niamh did not say more as she held the flowers and began to walk.
The cascade of snow under the faint yellow of the street lamps that lit up the road was comparable to the bouquet of baby’s breath in Niamh’s hand—so pure, innocent, and perhaps even romantic.
Yet, the thought of the child they had lost immediately doused Niamh and Kendrick in heavy grief.
Just then, the man who was chasing them appeared before them.
Realizing this, Niamh took Kendrick’s hand and turned again. “Let’s leave.”
Kendrick followed decisively, but his height and ethereal appearance made it easy for him to be picked out from the crowd. The man chased after them.
Without hesitation, Niamh pulled Kendrick onto a tourist bus that was passing by.
By the time the group chased over, the bus had begun to move.
They were temporarily safe.
Niamh let out a sigh of relief. The bus jostled, and with a hand holding the bouquet, she felt herself fall before she could grab the railing.
She had not fallen, though, as Kendrick managed to catch her by the waist.
She found herself being held in his broad chest as his long arms came to settle around her waist. It all felt so natural.
As far as others were concerned, the two looked the epitome of a sickly-sweet couple.
“Out of the two groups that chased after us, is there anyone you recognize?” Kendrick whispered.
Niamh shook her head. “None.”
Kendrick looked deep in thought. “They might be Felipe’s men. There’s no way he wouldn’t know that we’ve come to F Country, and if he had indeed played a part in Lillian’s end, then there’s no way he wouldn’t stop us from further investigating the matter.”
Kendrick continued, “Ever since that happened to Lillian, I can’t help but think that Felicity and Felipe are acquainted.”
“They are.” Niamh confirmed, telling Kendrick of the evidence she found from her investigation.
Kendrick was silent for a moment. “Get some rest tonight. It looks like we’ve got to take a different approach for our investigation tomorrow.”
“Different approach?”
Niamh did not understand. After returning to the hotel, Niamh took a bath and went to sleep while Kendrick slept on the couch.
The night passed and Kendrick was nowhere to be found when Niamh woke up the next morning.
He returned after she had washed up, holding some information in his hands.
Niamh knew that Kendrick had gone back to where they were last night and went alone because he did not want her to be put in any danger.
Knowing that it was for her safety, Niamh did not complain.
The two had breakfast before Kendrick rented a car to drive Niamh to their destination.
Upon arrival at a specific apartment block, they were surprised to find Felicity dressed beautifully as she entered a taxi. From the way she was dressed, she looked just like Niamh.
Niamh and Kendrick followed behind. After a while, Niamh realized that the road looked familiar. They soon arrived at Baby’s Breath Manor, the same place where Felipe had once let Niamh live in.
Felicity alighted the car and was greeted by a man in a black suit.
The man seemed to have noticed their car as he was slowly making his way toward them with a suspicious look on his face.
Niamh quickly explained, “This manor is under Felipe’s name, and since it’s in a rather rural place, it’s rare to have people stop here. I recognize him. He’s one of Felipe’s bodyguards. I think he might have noticed us.”
Kendrick immediately unclasped his seatbelt.
Thinking that he was about to alight the car, Niamh placed her hand over his.
“The manor was guarded by these bodyguards all the time over the past three years I lived here. We can’t fight them head-on, nor can we be found because these people recognize me.”
The bodyguard was almost at the car when Niamh was done speaking.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.