"But why are you doing it now, father?"

Clifford could not point out what's bothering the old man. He thought that the business may be losing finances and he'll release any amount any time the Howard family needs it.

Yet, it's impossible that the Howards may experience such predicament when he knew how wealthy and how financially stable they are. They're one of the elite and aristocratic family in Vienna.

The old man then turned and faced Clifford.

"I am old and," the man's eyes blurred with tears, using all his self-control not to let the tears fall from his eyes. "…I have a serious illness. I went to my doctor and had my annual check up it was then that he discovered that my heart had a slight enlargement which later on would developed into a heart failure. No one in my family knows about it except you. My doctor advised me to slow down since stress could be a triggering factor."

The two men fell into silence, thinking.

"And please don't tell it to anyone, especially to Ingrid, since it will hamper her decision,"

The young man is confused with the old man's motives. He could not tell exactly what he wants.

Clifford started to consider many alternatives or solutions in his mind but then he stopped. He needed to talk with Ingrid first.

♥. . . ♥. . . ♥. . .

In the dark corner of the resort, two men were having a secret discussion with someone over the phone.

"Did you put a sleeping pill on her tea?" the man on the other line angrily asked.

"Ye-yes, sir."

"But why did you not take her now?!" his voice snarled.

"We cannot enter their room sir. The lock isn't that simple that we could just easily manipulate and break in because its design uses the owners' fingerprints and would automatically alarm the security once a suspected intruder tried to sneak in. We never thought that the room were exclusive for their use."

The other person cursed. He didn't antic.i.p.ate this and he couldn't afford to get caught because he's at the target's territory. He needed to devise new plan that will eventually capture his target.

The mastermind ends the call and smashed his phone again.

He needed to know their schedule, their itineraries, and their flight back to the Diamond country. He shouldn't miss all of these.

"But who would help me get their schedule?"

He swirled his wine playfully and puffed his cigar looking onto nowhere to find some devise to execute.

For some reason, he remembered someone that would be the key to his success.

One of the few trusted people of the family.

Then he smiled wickedly remembering the man which would give him all the details. Just a little sneaky persuasion and voila, target locked.

He searched for the calling card he gave him when he met him accidentally in that man's workplace. When he found it, his smile grew wickedly.

"Well, well, well… who would've thought that my friends.h.i.+p with you would be of great use someday? I think it's a sign that this time I'll succeed."

He dialled the number as he looked intensely at the black and white calling card that is customized for those who worked under that company.

"Hi, it's me…"

♥. . . ♥. . . ♥. . .

It's already ten in the evening when Orlie was a.s.signed to check the garbage and to clean up some mess. He could not go home since they were strongly advised that they should do overtime but will be compensated substantially. He's so happy when he heard because for the first time he could provide at least a very simple preparation for his daughter's birthday even though it's late.

Thinking about his daughter made him smile and his fatigue is almost wiped down.

As he pa.s.ses through the play area and heard some children splash in the water and are gleeful. The children could swim until they wear out since the water is warm. He remembered his daughter again and wished that he could take her here.

Then he pa.s.ses through another bunch of kids who were much older than the other pool and only those who knew how to swim are allowed there because it's four feet deep. When suddenly…

"Someone please help! A little girl is drowning…"

Immediately he stopped in his tracks and went directly to the swimming pool where plenty of kids gathered. But a life guard already dived and saved the little girl, he felt relieved when the little girl was saved.

Orlie stared at the little girl's face when the life guard wipe the hairs that covered the child's face.

He's startled upon looking at her.

Without more ado, the life guard performed a mouth to mouth resuscitation.

"Karylle…" he uttered her name mutely.

As if his feet have a mind on its own he went over where the girl was laid and his heart beats disconnectedly as he neared to the motionless girl. His whole body trembled and unable to move and could only stare at her.

Several attempts were made before the little girl coughed and fluids run down from her mouth.

"Where's the girl's family?" Orlie heard the life guard asked and looked around when he spotted Orlie's trembling hand rose.

"Please come here, sir, we need to take her to the resort's clinic–"

Orlie did not waste time despite he's trembling. He carried his daughter in his arms and ran as fast as he could.