Charlotte shielded her mother behind her small body, and the sight surprised the old man.


    "I didn''t expect anyone to still be alive," he muttered.


    Charlotte was shaking uncontrobly. For a child of just around ten years old, the situation before her was too terrifying, but she still stood protectively in front of her mother without hesitation.


    The old man, however, showed no hostility. Instead, he used a dark energy to heal her mother. Then, he approached the little girl and asked, “Little one, your father has abandoned you two. You need to leave here quickly, or more people wille to kill you and your mother."


    "Abandoned us? That''s impossible! You''re lying!" Charlotte shouted in defiance.


    The old man said nothing more. He knew the situation was too much for the girl toprehend and did not immediately reveal the truth to her. "When your mother wakes up, she''ll take you away. When that happens, follow her."


    With that, the old man disappeared from Charlotte''s sight.


    Just as the old man had said, Charlotte and her mother left the Western Territory. They moved from ce to ce, but their pursuers were relentless. Eventually, Charlotte''s mother used the thing the old man left behind to secure passage on a ship to Gorgeous Country.


    With the help of a map, the mother and daughter found their way to a hidden underground shelter.


    "Hello, are you Ms. Patricia?" her mother asked.


    The steam from the coffee dissipated as Charlotte returned from her memories to the present. Now, the truth seemed to no longer matter to her. She no longer cared about her father''s whereabouts. She finished her coffee in one gulp and resumed typing on her keyboard.


    Outside the door, Sterling quietly walked away. He realized that for her, the past was just that—the past. Whether intentional or not, she no longer needed the truth. She would not strive to uncover it anymore, perhaps because the truth had cut her so deeply that she had chosen to cover it up.


    A shadow appeared at the window just as Sterling was about to return to his room. He immediately sensed that someone had intruded into the building.


    "Coming to thepany directly? Bold move," Sterling said, drawing his sword from beside him. "Come out. I know you''re there."


    A burly man stepped forward. "Hello there, Mr. Wichman of Universal Group."


    Recognizing the man''s distinct tight-fitting suit and mboyant appearance, Sterling was able to roughly guess where he was from.


    "Are you from the Justice Guild?" Sterling asked.


    The burly man nodded. "I''m the leader of this mission. You can call me by my codename, Strongman."


    "So cliché," Sterling muttered sarcastically.


    "It''s all about upholding justice, my friend," Strongman replied.


    Sterling put down his weapon and finally rxed a little. "Alright, tell me what you want."


    "Of course, sir." The man continued, "Could you withdraw from this operation?" Sterling was puzzled. "Why?"


    The man exined, "You see, we''ve always upheld absolute justice, never tolerating any form of evil. However, the Illuminion''s actions have crossed our line.


    "What I''m saying is that this is Gorgeous Country''s responsibility. We''d like to handle it ourselves as a way to make amends. Would that be eptable to you?" Without hesitation, Sterling nodded. "Sure."


    A broad smile spread across the man''s face. "Oh, sir, you''re truly a good-hearted person. Thank you for your wise decision. Rest assured, we''ll resolve this situation perfectly."


    With that, the man left. A sly grin crept onto Sterling''s face.


    The next morning, everyone was summoned to the conference room.


    "Alright, everyone, I''m sure you all were paid a visit by the Justice Guild''s people yesterday, right?"