Chapter 4

Audrey looked at Ada Russell with eyes filled with compassion. She gently tugged at the hem of Ada Russell’s dress, her voice soft yet firm: “Ada, I know you’re doing this for my own good, and I know they were wrong. But life must be paid for with life, and harm must be compensated for with punishment. They’ve already been punished. Please, spare them this time.”

She paused for a moment, then continued, “Please, do this for me. Let me be a good person once, okay? I’m sure they won’t dare do such things again. Please, Ada.”

Seeing Audrey’s pleading expression, with tears still lingering in her eyes, Ada Russell’s heart softened instantly. She was usually ruthless and merciless toward her enemies, but when it came to Audrey, she simply couldn’t bring herself to be cruel.

Perhaps it was because Audrey shared the same name and surname as her sister. Or perhaps it was Audrey’s purity and kindness that touched her. For so many years, she had lived in hatred and suspicion, with few people able to make her lower her guard. But Audrey managed to do just that.

Ida Russell shook her head helplessly, her tone filled with indulgence. “Ah, I really can’t help you. Since the person involved is saying so, what more can I say?”

She turned her head and glanced at Ah Hu and the others who were being led to the door. Her tone was icy: “You all, get lost. Remember, it was Audrey who begged me to spare your lives today. If you ever dare to do anything unjust or cruel again, not even the emperor himself could save you from my punishment. And thank Miss Audrey properly. It was she who saved your lives.”

Upon hearing this, Ah Hu and the others were overjoyed. They immediately kowtowed to Audrey, repeatedly saying, “Thank you, Miss Audrey! Thank you so much! You’re so kind-hearted. We’ll never dare do such things again!”

“Get lost! I don’t want to see you ever again!” Ada Russell waved her hand impatiently, her voice filled with disgust.

Ah Hu and the others didn’t dare to waste a single moment. They quickly got up and ran out, fearing that Ada Russell might change her mind.

Watching their retreating figures, Ada Russell turned her head toward the cheetah. Her tone reverted to its usual seriousness. “Uncle, from now on, kidnappings are absolutely prohibited within the criminal territory under my control. Also, all my subordinates within this territory need to be reevaluated. I don’t want incompetents—only those who are capable and loyal. How long will it take you to handle this?”

The cheetah thought for a moment, his tone slightly hesitant. “Aida, this will likely take five or six months. After all, our territory is vast, and we have many subordinates. It’s quite complicated to go through everyone. But I’ll try my best to speed things up and get it done as soon as possible.”

Ida Russell frowned, her tone tinged with displeasure. “Five or six months? That’s too long. I don’t want to wait that long. What I want is absolute safety—no more accidents.”

“Aida, I know you’re anxious,” the cheetah said quickly. “But this matter can’t be rushed. If we’re not careful in the screening process and allow a few people with ulterior motives to stay, it will only cause more problems. I promise you that I’ll ensure strict quality control and won’t let any potential threats slip through.”

Ida Russell remained silent for a moment, then nodded. “Okay, I trust you. This time, I only care about quality. The speed can be slower, but absolutely no mistakes are allowed.”

“Understood, Ada.”

Ida Russell said no more. She took Audrey’s hand, her tone gentle. “Audrey, let’s go. This place is too dirty. I’ll take you away from here.”

Audrey nodded, allowing Ada Russell to take her hand and lead her outside. After spending time together, Audrey no longer felt nervous or wary of Ada Russell. Instead, she felt a sense of closeness toward her.

She looked at Ada Russell’s profile and couldn’t help but speak up: “Ada, is this how you always behave? You always give off an arrogant impression that makes people reluctant to approach you. Moreover, you always cut others off before they finish speaking. That’s quite impolite, you know.”

Ida Russell paused for a moment, then smiled, her tone full of disdain. “Politeness? What’s the use of politeness in this world where the weak are preyed upon by the strong? Only by being strong enough can one protect oneself and those one cares about. I’m used to this, and I have no intention of changing.”

She’s gone through too much since she was young: being kidnapped, losing her sister. To protect herself and her family, she had to become strong, to hide her vulnerability behind a tough exterior. She’s lived like this for over a decade now, and she’s long since gotten used to it.

Audrey looked at her, her eyes filled with compassion. She gently patted Ada Russell’s hand and spoke softly, “I know you’re strong, and I know you have your own reasons for acting the way you do. But not everyone has ill intentions toward you, and not everything needs to be resolved through force. One day, you’ll understand that kindness is also a form of strength.”

Ida Russell looked at Audrey, feeling a slight stir in her heart. This was the first time anyone had ever said such things to her. Over the years, everyone had only seen her strength and ruthlessness. No one had ever shown any understanding for her hardships, nor had anyone advised her to be gentler.

She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but couldn’t figure out what. She looked at Audrey and suddenly felt that this girl before her was incredibly familiar. Familiar enough to make her want to get closer to her, to protect her.

Soon, the two of them reached the warehouse entrance. The moonlight outside was bright, casting a silvery glow across the ground. Ada Russell stopped in her tracks, turned around, and said to Audrey, “Audrey, close your eyes.”

Audrey blinked her eyes in confusion and asked curiously, “Why?”

Ida Russell smiled gently and said, “It’s too dark in the warehouse, while the moonlight outside is too bright. I’m afraid you might not be able to adjust right away, which could hurt your eyes.”

In Audrey’s heart, a warm feeling surged instantly. She smiled, nodded, and obediently closed her eyes. “Okay, I’ll do as you say.”

Watching Audrey’s well-behaved demeanor, Ada Russell’s lips unconsciously curved into a gentle smile. It was a pure and innocent smile, free from her usual coldness and sharpness, with a touch of a young girl’s charm.

Although Audrey had her eyes closed, she seemed to sense her smile. She couldn’t help but say, “Ida, you look so beautiful when you smile. From now on, please smile more often. Don’t always be so cold and distant. It’s exhausting like that.”

Ida Russell’s smile froze instantly. Subconsciously, she hid her smile, took out her sunglasses from her bag, and put them on to conceal the emotions in her eyes. Her tone returned to calmness. “Alright, open your eyes now. There’s no need to thank me. From now on, we’re friends. If you keep being so formal, I’ll get upset.”

Audrey opened her eyes and saw that Ada Russell was wearing sunglasses. Though she was a little puzzled, she didn’t ask any questions. Instead, she nodded and smiled brightly. “Great! We’re friends!”

The two got into the Porsche together. The driver started the car, and they slowly drove away. Inside the car, the atmosphere was relaxed. Audrey chattered non-stop, her face full of excitement. Ada Russell sat beside her, listening quietly, occasionally responding with a word. Her eyes were filled with tenderness.

After the car had been driving for a while, Ada Russell casually turned her head and glanced at Audrey. Her gaze instantly became distant. The moonlight streamed through the car window, illuminating Audrey’s face and outlining its delicate features. Her eyes and expression grew increasingly similar to those of her sister from her memories.

“Audrey,” said Ada Russell, her voice carrying a barely noticeable tremor, “you resemble someone I know.”

Audrey stopped talking and looked at her curiously, her eyes shining. “Who does she resemble? Is she like some celebrity?”

Ida Russell’s gaze dimmed instantly. Her voice carried a hint of sadness and nostalgia: “Not a celebrity, but she resembled my sister. So much so that for a moment, I thought you were her.”

Audrey’s face immediately showed surprise. She asked curiously, “You have a sister too? Where is she now? Can I meet her? I’d really like to see how much we resemble each other.”

Hearing Audrey’s words, a flicker of pain and helplessness passed across Ada Russell’s eyes. She shook her head gently and said in a low voice, “I’m sorry, I can’t.”

Audrey’s gaze became lost for a moment. She asked carefully, “Why? Is she not in City S? Or did you two fight?”

In Ada Russell’s mind, the memories from over a decade ago flashed again. Tears welled up in her eyes without her realizing it. She took a deep breath, trying to suppress her sadness, and said slowly, “Because I have no idea whether I’ll ever see her again.”

She paused for a moment, then continued, “Over a decade ago, she and I were kidnapped together. I was clever and mischievous at that time. While the kidnappers weren’t paying attention, I managed to break the ropes and find a way out. But just as I was about to take her with me, I heard the kidnappers approaching.”

At this point, her voice started to tremble with emotion. “My sister was very scared, but she still pushed me, telling me to run away quickly and go find Mom and Dad to help her. I was too young and too scared at that time, so I did as my sister said and ran away alone. But by the time Mom, Dad, and Uncle Cheetah arrived, my sister was gone.”

“All these years, I’ve been searching for her, but I’ve never found any clues about her. I don’t even know whether she’s still alive, or… whether she’s no longer in this world.”

Just then, Audrey suddenly interrupted her, her voice trembling slightly: “So, your sister told you to go out and find your mom and dad to save her, right? She also told you not to be afraid and to keep living, right?”

Ida Russell turned her head sharply toward Audrey, her eyes filled with shock and disbelief. “You… how do you know? Those words were indeed what my sister said to me back then! How can you possibly know?!”

Audrey was stunned. She stared at Ada Russell, her eyes filled with confusion and bewilderment. “I… I don’t know. I just blurted those words out without thinking. I have no idea why I knew those words at all.”

In her heart, a sudden sense of sadness arose, along with a familiar feeling, as though this memory also belonged to her. Instinctively, she touched her chest. There, a dull pain lingered, as if something had pierced her deeply.

Ida Russell stared intently at Audrey, her eyes filled with anticipation and confusion. She increasingly felt that Audrey was definitely no ordinary girl. Not only did she share the same name and surname as her sister, and resemble her in appearance, but she also remembered the words her sister had said to her all those years ago.

Could it be that Audrey is really her sister, whom she’s been searching for over a decade? But why doesn’t she remember anything at all?

Ida Russell suppressed her excitement and doubts, quickly changing the subject. She didn’t want to make Audrey uncomfortable or alert anyone to her suspicions. Looking at Audrey, she spoke more eagerly, “Oh, I’ve been talking about myself all along. I haven’t asked you yet. What’s your full name? Where do you live? You seem like a student too. Where do you go to school?”

In her heart, she was filled with anticipation. She hoped that, through Audrey’s answers, she could find more clues and confirm whether Audrey really was her sister.

Audrey smiled cheerfully. “You’re asking so many questions at once. I don’t even know which one to answer first.”

Ida Russell scratched her head slightly, looking a little shy for once. “I’m sorry, I was too hasty. Please take your time and speak slowly.”

Audrey couldn’t help but laugh at her shy demeanor. “It’s okay. My name is Cheng Yuno, but everyone calls me Audrey. I live in the Letian Community. I’m a freshman at Ruiying High School. School starts soon.”

“Ruiying High School? Freshmen?” Ada Russell’s eyes lit up instantly, her voice filled with excitement. “That’s great! Audrey, I’m also a freshman at Ruiying High School! From now on, we’ll be classmates!”

Audrey was also stunned, then a thrilled smile appeared on her face. “Really? That’s so coincidental! I thought I wouldn’t make any friends at my new school. I never expected to meet you here!”

Watching Audrey’s excited expression, Ada Russell’s heart was filled with joy as well. She looked at Audrey with affectionate eyes and said, “From now on, I’ll be there for you. You won’t ever be without friends. By the way, you can’t leave tonight. Why don’t you stay at my place? My house is big, with plenty of rooms. We can chat and sleep together.”

Audrey hesitated for a moment, then nodded, a bright smile on her face. “Okay! Then I’ll bother you then!”

In the carriage, the laughter of the two women echoed once again. Moonlight streamed through the window, casting a gentle and beautiful glow upon them. Yet, in Ada Russell’s heart, there was still confusion and longing—was Audrey really her sister? Why had she lost her memory? What had happened to her sister all those years ago?

These doubts, like a fog, enveloped her mind. She knew that the truth was probably not far away, and Audrey was the key to unlocking all these mysteries.