CHAPTER 7

When the men dressed in black arrived, Hedy, a former assassin, detected a familiar scent emanating from them, which unexpectedly evoked a sense of nostalgia within her. Of course, she was referring to the aura of death that they carried. Just that. These individuals were not even qualified to join Viper Shadow, let alone be worthy of her recognition.

"Have you seen a man pass by here?" The leader of the group concealed his gun and asked Hedy in a cold tone.

Hedy turned her shoulder to them and idly scraped the dirt with her foot, as if she was playing with mud. The rainy season was nearly over, so there had been frequent but light rain recently, leaving the ground perpetually damp. Outside the Turner family's courtyard wall, there was no paved road, only a dirt path. Therefore, a thick layer of soil had been piled up at the base of the wall to reinforce it. Hedy leisurely scraped the soil with her foot, burying the man's bloodstains right under the noses of the men in black. The men caught a whiff of the fragrance of osmanthus in the air mixed with the scent of blood, which heightened their suspicion of Hedy. Just as they were about to question her, the fat girl raised her hand and pointed in a direction.

"He went that way."

The men in black glanced at Hedy. Though doubtful, they still hastily went after the man. Hedy retreated into the courtyard, closed the door, and went back to sleep.

_

After escaping through the back door of the Turner Residence, Sam was promptly picked up by his family, who rushed over to get him. After receiving medical treatment for his wounds, they hurriedly returned to Raven City overnight.

Thorn Residence, Raven City.

Sam resided in the southeast courtyard of the Thorn Residence. Upon entering the main gate, he went straight upstairs to change his clothes before meeting his uncle. However, as soon as he changed, he found his uncle already seated on the sofa in the hall downstairs. His long legs were crossed as he waited for Sam.

"Uncle Sebastian." Sam approached his uncle in a respectful manner.

It was already dawn on the second day. The man on the sofa had a handsome face. His custom-made grey pinstripe suit bestowed upon him an air of nobility and restraint. Furthermore, his powerful aura commanded respect, making all the subordinates in the hall and Sam himself feel slightly intimidated. The man was Sebastian Thorn, the current head of the Thorn family. He was the youngest son of the retired Mr. Thorn. Although he was respectfully addressed as Uncle Sebastian by the younger generation of the family, he was only twenty-nine years old.

"Uncle Sebastian, why did you come here in person?" Sam felt a chill down his spine. Since he had failed the mission, he dared not meet his uncle's gaze. "It's my fault for being useless. I couldn't even handle such a small task. Not only did I lose the goods, but I also got myself into this mess." Sam was filled with regret. When his uncle was his age, he was already capable of handling things on his own and could effortlessly control every situation. Everyone who saw his uncle would respectfully call him Mr. Sebastian, but when it came to him …

"I'll accept my punishment when it's daylight." Sam lowered his head even further.

Sebastian's voice was indifferent and low. "You are a member of the Thorn family, not a bodyguard or an assassin. Hence, it's natural that you can't excel in all aspects of your first mission. It's fine as long as you're not hurt." Sebastian was always lenient with the younger generation. Having said that, he slowly looked up at Sam. "How are your injuries?"

Sam quickly replied, "They didn't hit any vital organs. They have removed the bullet so I'll be fine after a few days of rest." When Sam covered his bandaged abdomen, the string of numbers on his arm caught Sebastian's attention.

"What's that?" Sebastian thought it was some important information that Sam had brought back.

Sam looked down. He had been very careful when he was cleaning the blood from his hands for fear of washing off these numbers. Upon hearing his uncle's question, he quickly explained, "The goods were stolen in the suburbs of Norwood City. After that, I was saved by a young girl when I was in a critical situation. She's the one who left me her bank account."

"Oh, a young girl?" Sebastian did not seem interested so he only responded casually.

"Yes, she seemed to be a student. She also said that if I survived, I should transfer money to her account." Sam was deeply impressed by the bold and composed girl.

"Do you need help?" "You're not critically wounded, so you won't die. Although I can't guarantee that if the bleeding doesn't stop within half an hour." "Enter through here and exit through the back door. If you survive, don't forget to transfer money to my account." Sam remembered every word Hedy had said to him, as well as how she took a pen from his pocket to write down her account number. She was indeed a very special girl.

"I've already sent people to pursue the stolen goods so we won't lose them. Rest well. When those individuals are captured, you can decide what you want to do with them." Sebastian stood up to leave. After pondering for a moment, Sam caught up with Sebastian when he saw that he was about to exit through the main gate.

"Uncle Sebastian, I … I want to go to Norwood City again to personally express my gratitude to that girl."

"It's up to you." Sebastian continued walking, but after a few steps, he stopped and reminded her, "But you should know that you're a Thorn and how many people are secretly watching you. Norwood City is so small, so your grand gestures could cause trouble for her. Also, she has clearly stated her preferred method of gratitude, so why make unnecessary moves?"

"Yes, I understand. Thank you for the reminder, Uncle Sebastian." Sam sounded somewhat regretful.

Sebastian replied, "You don't need to go to the office for the time being. Stay home and recover from your injuries."

Sam said, "I'll be fine."

Sebastian said, "If you can't sit still, try to find a doctor who can take over your grandfather's surgery, or at least find a method to alleviate his condition."

Sam replied, "Alright." With Lucifer's death, they all knew that the old man's illness was nearly incurable.

After bidding farewell to Sebastian, Sam went upstairs and stared at the account number he had written down on a piece of paper for a long time. How much should he transfer? His life was invaluable, but she was still a student. Would giving her too much money at once frighten her? Would it have negative consequences and cause her trouble? After all, no matter how courageous she was, she was still a teenager. She probably would not be able to handle billions or hundreds of millions of dollars.

_

When Hedy woke up, she went for her usual morning run and then left the house with her school bag. Ethan was waiting for her at the door.

"Here." Ethan handed her seven dollars.

Hedy raised an eyebrow but did not take it. Instead, she questioned him with her eyes.

"You mentioned that your meal card was out of money," Ethan explained.

After considering it for a moment, Hedy accepted the money. As she looked at the seven dollars in her hand, she felt an urge to laugh. She, who used to get everything she wanted and have all the money in the world, was now relying on the seven dollars given by her little brother to get by.

Hedy asked, "Where did you get this?"

Ethan answered, "I told Mom that my meal card was out of money."

Hedy asked again, "What will you do now that you've given this to me?"

Ethan replied, "I still have about three dollars left on my meal card."

So Hedy slung her school bag over her shoulder, put her hands in her pockets, and followed Ethan. She asked, "How did you know my meal card was out of money?"

"You used to ask Mom for money to top it up once a week, but it's been more than a week and I haven't seen you ask her," Ethan explained.

Hedy did not say anything, but looked down at the worn-out sneakers on Ethan's feet. She thought to herself that her little brother was truly kind-hearted.

As Catherine stood upstairs at Norwood High, she observed Hedy leisurely walking to school with a malicious glint in her eyes.

"Have you found them?" Catherine asked her follower.

"Don't worry. By tonight, that fat pig will learn the consequences of offending us." The follower, who was drenched yesterday, said it viciously. She was already eager to witness Hedy begging for mercy.

"Hmph." Catherine crossed her arms and snorted coldly. How dare that fat pig intimidate her. She's truly asking for trouble.