The Manipulated Villainess

When Nicole glanced at her stepmother, waiting for some response; Garcia Han's eyes were still fixated on the file that she gave her.

"Mother - "

"Leave for now." Garcia Han muttered.

Nicole slightly raised a brow. "But - "

"Don't make me repeat myself, Nicole." Garcia Han snapped and immediately shut her eyes. "I have to look through this. Let's talk later." She calmly said.

After she fell silent for a while, Nicole finally said, "Alright." Then she rose from her seat and walked out of the room with Edwin.

Though Alex Jo was turning to her when she left, she ignored him and walked away.

*

Aston was on his way back to the city when he received a call from Leon. When he thought of what Cassandra told him, he was feeling a bit reluctant. However, he answered it when Aria crossed his mind.

"Hello."

"Aston, there's an emergency. Where are you?" Leon's anxiety was quite evident even through a phone call.

"I'm on my way back. What happened?" The actor promptly asked.

"Lester Yun and his men escaped. It's been a few hours." Leon informed him.

At the unexpected news, Aston suddenly pulled over his car. "What do you mean? How is that possible?" He promptly asked.

"I'm not sure. My men who guard the villa were rendered unconscious by someone. Maybe his remaining followers locate him and rescued him." Leon assumed.

Aston heavily sigh. "This is not good. Are you now in the villa?"

"Yes. I rushed here as soon as I received the news."

"I will be there soon." Aston promptly said.

"Alright. But be careful. He might come after you. Nicole is not safe too."

"Okay." The actor said and ended the call right away. Then he called Edwin and informed him about the situation before he drove towards the villa.

*

The situation in the villa was quite a mess. A few members of the Blackhood were there while most of the members already set out to catch Lester Yun again.

Leon was sitting on a chair, watching the CCTV records of Lester Yun escaping. Then Aston went to him.

"Do you find anything?" Aston asked Leon.

Leon shook his head. "The one who infiltrates this villa is just one person. Quite skilled." He remarked.

Aston glanced at the person on the CCTV who was dressed in all black with a cap and a mask that covered the whole face. It's even hard to tell if the person was a man or a woman. However, they assumed that it was a man.

"Seems like this person knows the condition of the villa well. Is it possible that someone among your men helped him?" Aston said but Leon shook his head.

"I doubt that. Throughout the 50 years that our Blackhood exists, we never had a traitor, not even one." Leon said with his gaze fixated on the CCTV recording.

"It won't be harmful to be more cautious," Aston uttered and glanced down at Leon who was sitting. "There is always a first in everything."

Leon thought for a while and said, "Alright. I'll be careful and look for any possibilities."

Aston nodded and stared at the screen. A single person could infiltrate the villa and rescued Lester Yun and his men? Was that even possible?!

When something crossed his mind, he looked down at Leon again. "Why are they still here? It's been a while since you caught them."

Leon gave a quick thought before he rose from his seat. "To be honest, I work with the government. The current President has a secret team who worked with me in hunting down these gangsters who crossed the line and create trouble for society. We only get involved if someone goes too far, such as Lester Yun."

"I was to sent them to the authorities tomorrow but..." The potter heavily sighed and rubbed his temples. "Seems like I will need a lot of explanation when I meet the President."

"Don't worry. Lester Yun's weakness is his impatience. We will catch him soon again. But... he already knows the existence of your organization. I'm afraid it might bring you harm." Aston stated with a hint of concern on his face.

"We will be fine. It's not like he can report us." The potter's lips curved into a menacing smile but when he glanced at the CCTV recording, his brows furrowed. Just who was this mysterious person?!

* * *

"Good job, Shara. I know you won't let me down. You managed to release Lester Yun and his men singlehandedly." Peter Jung said to Shara with a satisfying smile.

"You're always the best among whom I've trained. That's why I can't give you up no matter what happened." He regarded the young woman appraisingly.

Shara stood still with her gaze fixated on the floor. She didn't even utter a single word.

"Why?" Peter Jung asked when she remained silent. "Are you feeling guilty for betraying your organization?"

"Since when did you know about Blackhood?" Shara asked.

Peter Jung slightly smiled but it faded away the very next second. "You know me well, Shara. Do you think I don't know about this organization which played an important role in my son's life?"

"Not only Blackhood, but I also know how Leon used to love that Chairwoman. Of course, I also know about Nicole Yang's relationship with that actor even before it was made public." Peter Jung deadpanned. "I know everything but... I just don't talk about it."

Shara squeezed her dress when her brother and Nicole were brought up. "Are you planning to do something with Nicole Yang and her lover?"

Peter Jung fell silent as if he debated about it. "You know what, Lester Yun told me that the celebrity... what was his name again?"

"Oh! I remember. It's Aston Kang. He used to work for Lester Yun. He said that Aston Kang was a capable former right-hand man of his." The Prime Minister said with an amusing smile.

Shara knew this cunning man well than anyone. She knew what he was capable of. He always acted ineffectively while hiding his claws and ambitions. Those who ever messed with him never ended well! 

"Shara, I know everything. It was Nicole Yang who fell for another man but Leon took the blame. I know everything but I feign ignorance because of a reason. However, it doesn't mean that I will let her be. I will make her pay for what she did." Peter Jung firmly said.

"What do you plan to do?" Shara asked, secretly bracing herself. If Peter Jung was telling her all this, then it means... he still didn't know about her relationship with Aston. That alone was a good thing.

"Nicole Yang seems to love that celebrity a lot. Lester Yun also told me that he wants Aston Kang back. I plan to make that happen." Peter Jung simply said with a smile on his face.

"Lester Yun had worked for me for years. By doing this, I will be granting him his wish and I will also be punishing Nicole Yang for what she did. It's like catching two birds with one stone." He added.

"Master, Nicole Yang never cause you harm. Why don't you just let this slide?" Shara asked, glancing at the Prime Minister.

Peter Jung darted his eyes to Shara and his expression turned darkened. However, he shut his eyes, trying to calm down himself. Then he opened it again. "When the engagement was reported as a political deal, my reputation suffered a huge blow. How can I just let that slide? It's impossible."

He rose from his seat and gazed at Shara with a scrutinizing gaze. "Why did you defend her? I know that you and Leon often spent time with Nicole Yang and Aston Kang. Don't tell me you care about her." His voice was cold and intimidating.

Shara promptly lowered her head again. "I don't mean that." Provoking this man would bring her no good. She should be careful.

"I let go of your defiance last time without any punishment. That's because you're my most capable subordinate. However... " The Prime Minister paused and walked towards Shara. "If it happens again, you will suffer a great deal."

"I understand." Shara promptly responded with her head still lowered.

Peter Jung observed Shara and spoke up again. "Aston Kang will be very careful from now on, so is Nicole Yang and Leon. It would be dangerous for Lester Yun as he might get caught again. If Lester Yun gets caught, I'm in danger of exposure. No matter what, that shouldn't happen."

He retreated to his seat while Shara stood still. Then he fell silent for a while thinking of something before he turned back to Shara. "That's why I want you to capture Aston Kang and bring him to me. You are capable enough to do that."

Hearing this, Shara darted her eyes to the Prime Minister who was still glancing at her and clenched her fist in secret. Capturing her younger twin brother?!