Free Web NovelChapter 251: Chapter 254: The Plan Fails
It was too bright during the day, making it inconvenient to act, so Charlotte Shaw decided to make her move at night.
She climbed down from the ventilation window and moved the chair back to the dining table exactly as it was. Then, with the stolen pen, she colored over all the papers that had been filled with messages for help, turning them completely black.
Then, she hid them inside her sweater.
At eleven o’clock at night, the entire villa fell silent.
Willow Quincy had left after dinner and still hadn’t returned. The only people left in the villa were twenty bodyguards and Aunt Bell, who was in charge of the cooking.
Charlotte Shaw, having calculated the time, quietly lifted her blanket and climbed out of bed.
She didn’t put on any shoes, simply carrying the chair barefoot back into the shower room.
Bracing herself against the wall, she stepped onto the chair. Her head peeked furtively through the ventilation window.
Below, the bodyguards were yawning as they stood guard. She took a quick glance and saw there were only two of them.
"Hmph..." She smiled with satisfaction, squatting down for a moment to pull all the papers from her sweater. One by one, she folded them into paper airplanes.
Once they were all folded, she stood up straight again and launched the paper airplanes from her hand, one after another.
It was the dead of night, and the bodyguards’ vision was obscured by the darkness, far less sharp than during the day. On top of that, they had been on duty all day, leaving them physically and mentally exhausted. Because Charlotte Shaw had colored the paper airplanes black, they didn’t notice anything unusual when the planes flew out.
The ventilation window was high up, so the paper airplanes glided down, easily clearing the fence before landing on the grass and tree branches outside.
The grassy area was wide and flat, perfect for walking dogs. If anyone else lived near the villa, there was a chance someone might see the paper airplanes Charlotte Shaw had thrown.
’Please, please let someone come walk their dog or their kid over here...’
Charlotte Shaw prayed inwardly as she adjusted her angle, tossing the paper airplanes in different directions.
After throwing the last one, she carefully pulled her head back in and, holding her breath, moved the chair back to its original spot.
CREAK—
The main door downstairs was suddenly pushed open, followed by the low murmur of Willow Quincy’s voice.
"Let them investigate all they want. If they find the slightest trace, I’ll admit defeat..."
Charlotte Shaw scrambled into bed, deftly pulling the covers over herself to feign sleep.
Ten minutes later, as expected, Willow Quincy pushed open her bedroom door.
He didn’t speak or make any other movements. He simply walked barefoot to Charlotte Shaw’s bedside, then sat at the foot of her bed and watched her quietly.
She was a bad actor; her attempt at feigning sleep was completely unconvincing. Willow Quincy saw through her with a single glance. But he didn’t expose her little trick, instead quietly playing along.
"Ah..."
After what felt like an eternity, Willow Quincy suddenly let out a soft sigh.
"Oh, Sonia." He raised a hand to gently stroke Charlotte Shaw’s brow, his tone laced with helplessness. "Why can’t you just be a little more obedient?"
"..."
Charlotte Shaw kept her eyes shut tight, giving no reaction.
Willow Quincy spoke again. "As long as you’re willing to be obedient, I’m willing to give you everything you want."
"..." Charlotte Shaw’s eyelids didn’t even twitch. She looked as if she were truly asleep.
Willow Quincy paused, then sighed again. "I’m kidding. Even if you aren’t obedient, I’ll still give you everything you want."
"Everything except Felix Preston."
"..." A soft snore escaped with Charlotte Shaw’s breath.
Willow Quincy stared at her for a few seconds. Seeing that she really did seem to be asleep, he quietly got up from the bedside and left her room without a sound.
CLICK—
The sound of the door locking was clear. Charlotte Shaw slowly lifted her eyelids; they held no trace of sleep.
She was wide awake. She just couldn’t be bothered to deal with Willow Quincy.
As soon as Willow Quincy left, she rolled over, wrapping the blanket around herself. She stared blankly out the window, completely failing to notice the black paper airplane he had left at the foot of her bed.
...
"WHOOSH..."
"SWOOSH..."
"Paper airplane, flying away..."
The next day, Charlotte Shaw was woken by the noises Willow Quincy was deliberately making.
"...Whoops!"
Charlotte Shaw shouted impatiently, irritably kicking off her blanket and sitting up in bed.
"Willow Quincy, you—"
Before the curse on the tip of her tongue could escape, the color drained from Charlotte Shaw’s face.
She stared in disbelief at the black paper airplane in Willow Quincy’s hands, terror visibly flooding her expression.
"Sonia’s awake?" Willow Quincy gently pinched the deliberately blackened paper airplane between two slender fingers, smiling at Charlotte Shaw.
Charlotte Shaw’s body tensed for a few seconds before going slack. The anxiety in her heart gave way to indifference.
"..."
She shot Willow Quincy a cold glance, not deigning to give him a single word in reply.
He held the paper airplane out in front of Charlotte Shaw for two seconds, then sent it flying again.
"Sonia is still so good at folding paper airplanes. It’s just that the color you used is too ugly; it’s rather unsightly."
"So?" Charlotte Shaw looked at him, her expression blank. "What’s your point?"
"..." Willow Quincy’s hand, toying with the paper airplane, paused. A regretful smile touched his lips. "My point is, this is a private estate. Without the owner’s permission, no outsider can get in."
"No one comes here to walk their dog. These paper airplanes could sit on the lawn until they rot, and no outsider would ever find them."
"Hmph..." Charlotte Shaw scoffed but said nothing.
Willow Quincy continued, "I’ve said it before. If Sonia is bored, she can go to my room to read or write. Standing on a chair, so high up, to launch paper airplanes... it’s really not safe."
"Don’t do it again."
Charlotte Shaw didn’t agree. Instead, she frowned and asked, "How did you know I stood on a chair to launch them?"
Willow Quincy raised an eyebrow. "Was it hard to guess?"
"..." Charlotte Shaw was speechless.
Willow Quincy put the paper airplane down. "I’ve told you, Sonia can enter my room freely and take whatever she wants. There’s no need for Sonia to be so sneaky."
Charlotte Shaw shot him a death glare. "I like being sneaky. What business is it of yours?"
"It is my business," Willow Quincy said shamelessly. "Anything that has to do with Sonia is my business."
"...Get lost!"
Not wanting to talk to him anymore, Charlotte Shaw pulled the blanket over her head and burrowed back under the covers.
Willow Quincy patted her blanket and asked gently, "It’s nine o’clock. Does Sonia want to get up and have some breakfast?"
Charlotte Shaw replied with a single word: "Get lost!"
"...Alright." Willow Quincy knew she was in a bad mood and didn’t want to annoy her further. He sat on the edge of the bed and watched her for a moment before getting up and leaving the room.
Aunt Bell was waiting outside the door. The moment she saw him emerge, she asked with a worried expression, "Is Sonia still not eating breakfast?"
Willow Quincy gave a quiet "mm." "Let her sleep a while longer. Just bring her a little extra for lunch."
"Yes," Aunt Bell first acknowledged his instructions. Then, she glanced up at his face, and seeing that he wasn’t scowling, she finally dared to say:
"Sonia has such a bad temper. When she gets emotional, she just says whatever comes to mind."
