"For safety," Antoninus explained.
"We need others to know where we're going today. The more people who know, the safer we are."
I certainly understood the reasoning behind it. If everyone saw us entering Marcus's farm, then in case of any unexpected events, the first person suspected would be Marcus. This way, Marcus would certainly not dare to harm us without consequences.
But...
I couldn't help but complain, "Why didn't you wait for me to get in the car first before making such a fuss?"
Now, with such a spectacle, how was I supposed to get in?
So many people were watching!
Antoninus calmly said, "You are my exclusive journalist. Riding in the same car with me isn't unusual."
"But..."
"No 'buts.' Change your clothes and get in the car."
His tone brooked no argument, so I reluctantly returned to the wardrobe.
I picked out the most conservative, professional-looking women's suit from the closet and carefull
Antoninus's words caught Marcus off guard. Marcus turned pale, raised an eyebrow, and after a moment, nodded with a twitch of his lips, "Of course.""Thank you," Antoninus politely thanked him and then returned the baby lion to me. I hurriedly accepted the lion and gave him a glare. After all, it was still a young animal, and he had been tossing it around like a toy. But then again, he had let four-year-old Chris ride a horse by himself. It seemed that, in his eyes, even cubs were made of steel.While I was soothing the poor baby lion, a person in the distance began approaching us. It was Roman, who had taken Antoninus's convoy earlier. He walked directly to Marcus and whispered something to him.I pursed my lips, my eyebrows furrowing deeper. He seemed to be even more subservient to Marcus than Eric was by Antoninus's side. It was evident that he was Marcus's right-hand man in running this animal farm, which used hunting wild animals as its main attraction.
"There's also a rescue center here. We bring injured wild animals from the field and nurse them back to health," Roman explained.I asked, "And after they recover, do you release them back into the wild?"Roman smiled and said, "That's entirely up to you. If you wish for me to release them, then so be it.""Of course, they should be released."I then asked if this would cause a significant loss to them since treating and rehabilitating injured animals required a lot of money. But Roman was nonchalant and said, "As long as it makes you happy, I have no objections."I replied, "This should be your family's decision. As long as they are treated well, keeping them here is not a bad option."Roman suddenly burst into laughter and then lowered his head, his clear blue eyes filled with tenderness. "Lily, you always think of others so much. You're my little princess."Well, not always. I could be quite stubborn at times, too. I'm sure Antonin
I looked at Roman with suspicion. He smiled, appearing puzzled, and asked, "What's wrong? Don't you know? The President's father, Tiberius, is the biggest arms dealer in the country and also the world.""Really?" I found it hard to believe."Of course, they produce half of the firearms in the country. Even the guns we have here are from their company.""Okay..." I was shocked and didn't know how to respond.Seeing my uneasy expression, Roman reassured me, "Don't worry, we only buy hunting rifles, and I'll make sure that none of the bullets here will ever harm a person.""Alright, I understand."This was the first time I had learned about Antoninus' family background. Strangely, I didn't feel excited; rather, I felt a sense of repulsion. Perhaps it was because firearms were a topic that often stirred negative political discussions.I sighed softly, feeling a growing sense of anxiety. Antoninus was a high-ranking political figure, and I
The car raced across the grassland, kicking up billows of yellow dust in its wake. Occasionally, when the car hit a mound of grass, we would be sent flying off our seats.I clung tightly to the handle on the car door, afraid to move.Antoninus, on the other hand, remained composed, his usual calm expression unaffected. He turned to say something to me, but the wind was too loud for me to hear.Suddenly, he reached out and pulled me into his embrace. I was taken aback, and my instincts kicked in. I held onto his neck, angry as I asked, "What are you doing?""I don't want you to fall," he replied calmly."But I nearly fell just now!"I glared at him, annoyed. He was still smiling, enjoying the feeling of freedom and recklessness.The wind had caused his eyes to narrow slightly, and his lips curled up gently. Strands of his slightly overgrown hair danced in the wind, giving him an unexpectedly soft and elegant appearance.While I
I looked curiously at the driver. He was wearing a yellow camouflage uniform, with a long rifle slung over his shoulder. Right now, he was leaning casually against the seat, his big boots resting disrespectfully on the windshield of the open-top off-road vehicle. In short, his demeanor was very lax, and he seemed... unreliable.Turning my head, I saw that Antoninus had followed Marcus to a nearby withered tree. I had no choice but to return to the car and proceed with my plan to secretly take photos.However, as soon as I removed the lens cap, the driver reached out and snatched my camera away. "Wow, what a clever little gadget."The voice was familiar. I looked up, and there before me was that insolent and arrogant face."Lucius!" I exclaimed in surprise."Hush," Lucius made a shushing gesture, winking and saying, "Keep quiet, my sweet."He jumped out of the car, leaning casually against the vehicle's door as he continued to observe the two
I took a deep breath and thanked Roman again."Hehe, these days, I've heard you say thank you too many times," Roman chuckled softly, his voice captivating. "So, any more practical ways to show your gratitude? How do you plan to thank me?"I replied, "Well, once we get back, I'll treat you to dinner?"Roman hesitated for a moment, seeming somewhat dissatisfied. However, he still agreed with a smile, "Alright, after we return, I'll wait for your call."Lucius, who had been eavesdropping nearby since he returned, spoke up with a cold warning, "You'd better stay away from this guy. This little snake is capable of betraying even his own father. Do you really trust him?""He's just doing the right thing," I replied."No, he's doing what benefits him," Lucius retorted.I said, "He's not that kind of person.""Why? Do you really know him? Do you know everything he's done?" Lucius fired a barrage of questions, leaving me momentarily sp
I lost my balance and fell on top of Antoninus.Antoninus hugged me gently, with his hose-filled arms."Are you crazy?" I scolded him angrily.If one of these hoses misplaces a needle, it pierces a blood vessel and bulges under the skin.It hurts just to think about it. Isn't he scared at all?I tried to get off him.But his arms continued to hold me in their arms, and I was too frightened to move.'Let go of me!"Yes. But you must kiss me."'What?I suspected I had misheard, and looked into his eyes in surprise.He's the one in the weak spot right now.How dare he threaten me back?His long, thick lashes quivered gently, and his deep eyes were tender and touching.Obviously very sincere expression, but what he said is too shameless.I bit my teeth and coldly warned, "You'd better let me go right now!" Or else... I'll pull out your needle right now!"Anoninus raised an eye
Sleeping on a plane is a real pain.Occasionally encountered turbulence, fuselage tremor a few times, directly wake people from sleep.Anyway, I didn't sleep well that night.And the consequence of not sleeping soundly is that I have been unconsciously moving in bed all night.By the time I woke up rubbing my eyes, I was resting on Antoninus's chest and my cheeks were cold and sticky.I opened my eyes and got up, and, my God, Antoninus was left with a pool of transparent spit on his chest.I blushed and watched quietly.Fortunately, Antoninus is still asleep.So I quickly got out of bed, found two tissues, and gently wiped the saliva from his chest.And by the time I started wiping, I realized the bastard was already awake.He's just pretending to sleep the whole time.As Antoninus took a breath and began to say something else, I covered his mouth. "Shut up! Don't talk!"I didn't mean to do it!