Chapter 142: Are You Calling to Apologize to Me?
The car had been driving for quite a while when Jane Lancaster sighed with feeling, "What a beautiful day."
Alvin Lancaster glanced outside. In the distance, dark clouds were pressing in, and a sudden downpour began.
Alvin Lancaster: "..."
’How is this weather good at all! The flight is definitely going to be delayed.’
Alvin Lancaster asked cautiously, "Jay, are you all right?"
"I’m great," Jane Lancaster said with a smile. "It seems like I’ve never gone on a trip alone with just you and Third Brother before. I’m very happy."
She glanced at the character favorability ratings. Adrian Lancaster’s was the lowest. Alvin Lancaster’s had recovered a bit recently, but considering he was an indecisive fence-sitter, she could ignore him for now.
The top priority was to completely zero out Adrian Lancaster’s favorability score.
She looked up at the handsome young man’s beautiful profile, her gaze landing on his neck, and suddenly reached out.
"Oh my god, Third Brother, what happened here? How did you get hurt?"
Alvin Lancaster was startled. "Wasn’t that syrup?"
Adrian Lancaster lowered his gaze, forcing himself not to pull away from Jane Lancaster’s hand. "It’s nothing, just a small cut. Little sister didn’t do it on purpose."
’But I did do it on purpose.’
Jane Lancaster: "I’m sorry, Third Brother. I didn’t realize it was a real knife. I thought you were just joking with me like you always do."
As her cold fingers pressed on the wound, Adrian Lancaster frowned in discomfort.
’What a pity. I was too soft last night.’
’"Not breaking character," my ass. That immature brat was just putting on an act. Did he really think he could scare me with a knife?’
’Have you ever even seen a real murderer? And you’re trying to act like one? Your fans praise you a little, and you really think you’re some great actor. Hilarious.’
’When a truly vicious criminal is about to stab someone, would they have that kind of greasy, self-important look in their eyes?’
"What joke?" Alvin Lancaster asked curiously. He never knew his younger brother had a habit of scaring their little sister.
Jane Lancaster: "Third Brother has always loved to act. He used to practice his lines with me all the time."
’Everyone in the Lancaster family is a drama queen, but Adrian Lancaster’s acting is the absolute worst. It’s so childish.’
Adrian Lancaster: "..."
’He was furious. What does she mean, have I ever seen a real murderer? Has *she*? And how am I greasy? The director even praised that scene, saying it was full of tension and had a great vibe! She wakes up one day, and she doesn’t have a shred of pride in her brother being a huge star? Doesn’t she know how many girls dream of being his sister? Even the upperclassmen in high school used to pull strings just to get his autograph. How could she be like this?’
"By the way, Third Brother, I thought you’d grow up to be a scientist. Back then, all you wanted to do was research. How did you end up becoming an actor?" Jane Lancaster asked, deliberately stepping on a landmine.
It wasn’t that she looked down on the acting profession. Times had changed, and even wealthy families needed the monetization that came with celebrity traffic.
It was because Adrian Lancaster had worn the halo of a boy genius, determined to become a scientist. Julian Lancaster had even invested in his experiments back in high school.
He was a brilliant violinist who had studied under a famous master, won first prize in international competitions, and had even performed in the Vienna Golden Hall.
Yet, he would get angry if the family even suggested he major in music.
The entertainment industry should have been the one choice he’d sneer at the most.
Alvin Lancaster: "Chase was recommended by his school to compete on a show called The Tower of Wit. He won first place and shot to fame. His fans begged him to debut, and that’s why he chose to."
Back then, there was even a saying that he was a heaven-sent star.
Adrian Lancaster’s image and charisma were perfect. He was cultured and refined, quick-witted, and possessed profound skill with the violin.
All of it made him perfectly suited for the entertainment industry, as if it were tailor-made for him.
He had a high starting point. His debut film, released at the beginning of last year, was a blockbuster hit that turned him into a top star.
At the time, many haters questioned it, saying things like, "Why hype up this ’top student’ persona? Would a real top student need to fight for a living with uneducated hacks in the entertainment industry? Be careful not to overdo it and burn the whole thing down."
Other haters dug into his past, trying to find any evidence that his persona was fake.
Their father and eldest brother were abroad at the time. Alvin Lancaster was frantic but couldn’t do much to help. Fortunately, Adrian’s actual accomplishments proved everything.
After the haters dug up Adrian Lancaster’s past, they all quietly shut up. He was a genuine top student; there was nothing to criticize.
’A pity. The "star" in "heaven-sent star" is more like a "shooting star."’
A thought flickered in Alvin Lancaster’s mind. ’What does she mean, a "shooting star"?’
He perked up his ears, ready to hear more, but a sudden ringing interrupted his thoughts.
He glanced at the caller ID and was a bit surprised. It was Luna Morgan.
But this wasn’t the time to answer, so he rejected the call.
The person didn’t call back. The car fell silent.
The car sped on, the only sounds being the dull drumming of the rain and the tires splashing through puddles.
For some reason, Alvin Lancaster suddenly felt a faint unease. His sister’s earlier thoughts had said that today was the day Luna Morgan was *actually* supposed to be kidnapped...
Adrian Lancaster’s phone rang right after.
Just as Adrian Lancaster was hesitating whether to answer, the caller hung up.
’Looks like it’s the same person calling. My guess is Luna Morgan.’
A sudden ringtone once again broke the silence in the car.
Several pairs of eyes gathered on Jane Lancaster.
"Ah, it’s my phone." She looked at the name on the screen, thinking, ’Just as I thought,’ and then answered the call in front of everyone.
"Hello, Luna."
Alvin Lancaster and Adrian Lancaster’s eyes tightened simultaneously.
—
「Inside the dim warehouse.」
The fan overhead was whirring noisily. Outside, the rain poured down in sheets, and the air was filled with the smell of dust.
Luna Morgan held her breath as she watched the kidnapper take her phone, scroll through her contacts, and make a call.
A few minutes earlier, the kidnappers had proposed calling someone to ransom her and Chloe Dave.
She was unwilling to ask anyone for help. After all, these men were vicious criminals. What if the person who came to save them ended up like Chloe Dave, not only failing to rescue them but falling into their hands as well?
Calling someone over at a time like this was just damning them.
But the terrifying men used Chloe Dave to threaten her. If she didn’t make a call, they would beat Chloe.
She couldn’t bear to see Chloe get beaten, so she had no choice but to compromise.
Several calls were made in succession. They either rang until they timed out or were immediately rejected.
Watching the kidnappers’ expressions grow increasingly menacing, Luna Morgan’s heart grew colder and colder.
It was as if overnight, she had become someone everyone avoided like the plague.
Three years of hard work had vanished in an instant. She felt like she was back three years ago, during that time when she was completely alone and helpless.
"Who is this Miss Lancaster?"
Hearing this, Luna Morgan shouted frantically, "Don’t call her!"
But it was too late. The man had already dialed the number.
"Hello, Luna."
Hearing the voice on the other end of the line, Luna Morgan turned her head away in shame, refusing to speak.
She would rather die than be indebted to Jane Lancaster again.
Seeing she wasn’t cooperating, the lead kidnapper immediately kicked Chloe Dave.
"If you’re not going to talk, I’m hanging up." Jane Lancaster was about to end the call when she heard a faint, muffled grunt from the other end.
The sound was very soft, as if it was being choked back in someone’s throat.
’Just as I thought, something’s going on.’
With renewed interest, she put the phone back to her ear. "...Are you calling to apologize to me?"