Chapter 265 Waiting for the Fog to Disperse

Chapter 265 Waiting for the Fog to Disperse

The man wiped the blood from his forehead, a flicker of hostility in his eyes. "Our boss isn't gonna go for your crazy demands."

"You botched the job we gave you and still won't pay up. Where do you get the nerve?" Brielle's voice suddenly turned sharp. 

"If you won't pay, fine. But within three days, I want Cecilia gone for good to prevent any future trouble!"

The man's expression shifted slightly, as if weighing the pros and cons. 

After a moment, he nodded and said in a low voice, "We'll do our best."

Then he added slowly, "Mrs. Russell, I believe you're a smart woman. If you start talking about things you shouldn't, it won't be good for either of us."

"Are you threatening me?" Brielle's eyes turned icy, her tone displeased. 

"Instead of worrying about that, you should focus on figuring out how to deal with Cecilia so we can both be satisfied!"

"Yes." The man said no more and left the room. 

As he passed through the living room, he startled Cleo, who was cleaning.

Back in the room, Brielle sat back in her soft chair. Her anger hadn't subsided. 

Just thinking about how Julian was infatuated with that woman Cecilia, going so far as to remove scandalous posts and even spending a fortune to buy Cecilia's life, giving her more than half of the company's shares, made her furious.

She had raised Julian to be an obedient grandson, so how did he suddenly change? 

If Owen hadn't told her about these things, she might still be deceived. She couldn't think of any reason other than Cecilia brainwashing Julian. 

Rumor had it that the women on Clearwater Island were skilled at using tricks to blind men and win their favor. Cecilia must have learned some of those tricks!

Such a woman must not be allowed to stay!

As long as Cecilia was alive, Julian wouldn't be able to peacefully run the Russell Group as its president!

Moreover, Cecilia had her family heirloom. No matter what, she had to get that precious gem back!

"Mrs. Russell, are you alright?" Cleo's timid voice suddenly came from outside the door. 

She was holding a mop, seemingly planning to clean the faint bloodstains on the floor.

Brielle took a deep breath, her expression softening a bit. "I'm fine."

Hearing this, Cleo entered the room. She quietly observed Brielle, her intuition telling her that Brielle was plotting something terrible but wasn't ready to share it.

But she had no right to ask, so she silently did her work, keeping quiet.

Fifteen minutes later, on Ethereal Isle.

After walking for a while, Cecilia's breathing had become labored.

The moss on the ground emitted a damp, musty smell, sticky and nauseating. 

The surrounding trees grew denser, their twisted branches forming a natural cage. 

Some tree bark oozed dark green sap, giving off a pungent odor. 

Ten Eyes had accidentally touched it earlier, and his hand immediately swelled up.

Cecilia carefully walked at the front, using her knife to cut through the vines blocking the path. 

She deliberately slowed her pace, pretending to navigate while constantly scanning the surroundings for a chance to shake off Christopher and his companion.

Suddenly, an abrupt slope appeared ahead, with dense bushes at the bottom, enough to hide her. 

Cecilia smiled; she didn't want to keep wandering around with these two.

She pretended to slip, exclaiming, "Watch out! It's slippery here—"

Before she finished speaking, she had already rolled down the slope.

Christopher reacted quickly, reaching out to grab her but only tearing off a piece of her clothing.

He frowned, looking down to find Cecilia already gone, realizing she did it on purpose.

"Chase her."

"Damn it! That woman!" Ten Eyes cursed, leaping down.

But Cecilia had already used the bushes for cover, silently slipping into a narrow crevice in the rocks, hiding without moving.

Her heart pounded like a drum, the cold, wet rock pressing against her back. 

The vines hanging down brushed her cheeks with a slippery touch, and she could even see small bugs wriggling on them.

Ten Eyes' clicking tongue came from nearby. "This place, you can't even see footprints."

"She won't get far," Christopher's voice was cold, not panicked at all. "She likes to play hide and seek, so let's play along."

Hearing their conversation, Cecilia felt tense, biting her lip to avoid making any sound. 

Only when the footsteps gradually faded did she let out a long breath.

She waited in place for about five minutes, and when she didn't hear them return, she quietly emerged from the crevice. 

Her clothes were soaked, her lips pale, and she cautiously moved through the dense forest.

After walking for a while, suddenly, the sound of breaking branches came from afar.

Cecilia froze, quickly crouching down and hiding behind a clump of ferns. 

Through the gaps in the leaves, she saw a group of armed men in black heading her way.

"Mr. Taylor said we must find the treasure chest before dark," the leader whispered.

"Is there really treasure in this desolate place? I heard the previous people who came here all died!"

"Stop talking nonsense! Use the time to find the way!"

Cecilia's eyes widened. It seemed Christopher had sent people here before.

Soon, they stopped arguing, their footsteps getting closer. Cecilia slowed her breathing, slowly moving backward.

And then—

A dry branch snapped under her foot!

The leader of the black-clad men turned sharply. "Who's there?"

Cecilia's blood froze.

Meanwhile, on the speedboat on the sea.

"There are seven islands to the northeast, and we can't pinpoint which one exactly," Kian frowned. 

"Plus, the magnetic field in this area is acting up, the compass keeps spinning."

Caroline gripped the binoculars, wearing Cecilia's hair tie found on the beach around her wrist, and said in a deep voice, "Should we split up to search?"

"No." Alaric spoke after a moment of silence, his gaze fixed on the fog-covered sea in the distance. "There are eight islands here. Cecilia is likely on the eighth one."

Ethereal Isle wasn't marked on official nautical charts, known only to a few. 

Rumor had it that it was shrouded by some force, with the entrance only visible at specific times. 

Normally, it was almost impossible to find.

Caroline and Kian were stunned, following Alaric's gaze and soon understanding what he meant by the eighth island.

"Wait." Before they could speak, Alaric continued coldly, "Wait for the fog to clear."