After leaving the restaurant, Viana and Ellie kept moving towards the southern part of the city, where her village was located.
Viana had to take a bus from the city center to get to her slightly remote area. It took about an hour and a half, and they reached the far end of Lyge City.
After getting off the bus, Ellie was a little confused. “Are we there yet?”
Viana chuckled and shook her head. “Not yet. We still have to take the village transportation to get to my mom's village,” Viana said as she looked around. “Look, there's already one leaving!”
Viana and Ellie hurriedly approached the village transportation car that was about to leave. After boarding, the simple car left the terminal.
“What's the name of the village?” asked Ellie.
Viana replied, “Atna Village.”
“Uh, is it as remote as my village?”
Viana recalled. “I think it's almost the same.”
Ellie looked out the window. “How long will it take us to get there?”
“Probably about half an hour,” Viana replied.
The two of them leisurely enjoyed the scenery on the road. The green paddy fields, the distant blue mountains, the clear sky with soft white clouds.
Half an hour later, the two disembarked at the village crossroads. According to Viana's memory, it was near here. So she walked with Ellie.
Ellie looked left and right. “Where are you going to live in this village?”
Viana casually shrugged.
Ellie was stunned with shock. “You don't have a place to stay yet?”
Viana chuckled. “Don't worry, we have to meet someone first.”
Ellie said no more and obediently followed.
A few minutes later, Viana stopped in front of an old hut.
Ellie saw Viana continue to stare at the hut hesitantly, as if she were digging up memories that had been buried in her mind for too long.
Ellie approached Viana. “What's wrong?”
Viana shook her head, closed her eyes, and sighed. “Come behind me.”
Ellie did not know what Viana was going to do, so she obediently followed behind.
A little nervously, Viana knocked on the door of the old hut.
Knock, knock!
Viana repeated it three times, but there was no answer.
After a moment, Viana became sad and desperate. “Could it be...” She was dead?
Suddenly, the door in front of her opened.
An old woman with short white curls appeared with a wooden stick in her hand. Her face was covered in wrinkles, but her expression was serene.
Seeing this appearance, Viana's breath caught a little. Her eyes were immediately puffy.
She looked confused at the two girls in front of her hut. “Who is this with?”
Viana lowered her mask, revealing her entire face. She smiled gently. “The daughter of Ariana and Richard Harvey, Viana Harvey, has come back to visit you, Grandma Martha...”
At the mention of these names, Grandma Martha was startled and dropped her crutches. She reflexively fell to her knees while trembling. Fortunately, Viana immediately supported her and held her up.
“Miss Viana...” Martha said through trembling lips. Her eyes involuntarily welled up with tears. “You are still alive...”
***
“No way!” snapped a man fiercely while hitting the glass table in front of him. “How could my sister be alive?!”
“Darren...” called a middle-aged woman gently. “She's not your sister anymore.”
The tall, handsome young man was completely shocked and angry. “Mom, didn't her car clearly go into the ravine that time? Our team has also investigated it, and the body was not found! Was she able to get out of the abyss on her own?”
The middle-aged woman smiled wryly. “Who knows? Maybe she was lucky.”
The young man was Darren Harvey, Viana's younger half-brother, two years her junior. After Viana disappeared, he held the current position of leader of the Harvey family. Then the middle-aged woman Darren called mother was his biological mother, as well as Viana's stepmother. Her name is Grace, the second wife of Viana's father.
Viana's mother gave birth to Viana and died when Viana was two years old. Since then, Viana's father has raised Viana alone and with great affection. As the leader of the Harvey noble family, many advised him to remarry. However, Viana's father loved his late wife very much and was reluctant to remarry.
Not long after, news was heard that Viana's father's closest friend had died in an accident. This incident also devastated Richard Harvey. His friend left behind a pregnant wife.
As the deceased's closest friend, Grace begged Richard to help her and her unborn child. His friend was a simple person and not too rich. Although Richard felt sorry, he was still reluctant to accept Grace.
Many pressures came to him. Because of his pity, he finally accepted Grace. However, Richard had previously emphasized that this marriage was only a name, there was no love, and only the purpose was to support Grace and her child. The condition also emphasized that Richard would not touch Grace forever. However, Grace still accepted it.
Not long after, she gave birth to Darren, the son of her previous husband. Because she was now married to someone from the Harvey family, the boy was named Darren Harvey.
After Richard Harvey died, Grace and her son took this opportunity to take over the Harvey family and get rid of Viana Harvey.
Currently, both of their positions in the Harvey family are "rulers.”
Darren looked at the man under him who had brought this bad news. “Isn't that guy looking wrong?”
The thin man trembled slightly. “I just received word from my subordinate in Lyge City that he saw a girl with eyes very similar to Miss Viana. Then, upon seeing your news on television, the girl involuntarily trembled while referring to you as a younger brother. That kind of emotional reaction seems to be unquestionable.”
“Where is the exact location?” asked Grace directly.
The man answered immediately. “When my subordinates followed her, she kept heading south of Lyge City. When we followed her, she headed towards Atna Village.”
Darren and Grace were surprised at the same time.
“That was her mother's home village...” Grace said softly. “Since she went there, then it's most likely Viana.”
Darren told the man. “You can go now,” then turned back to his mother. “Mom, what about this? If she's really alive, then our efforts are wasted!”
“Don't worry,” Grace said, smiling. “Even if she really is alive, right now, she can't do anything to threaten us.”
Darren frowned. “You want to just let her go?”
Grace laughed. "How is that possible? Don't you remember what mom taught you?
Darren smiled a grin. “I understand. It's better to kill the wrong one than lose the right one. No matter if the girl is Viana or not, we can't let her live!”
Grace laughed with satisfaction and nodded.
“Then I'll send my subordinates to go there, Mother,” Darren said readily.
“Wait.”
Darren gasped. “What's wrong?”
Grace looked at her son. “The next few days. Are you busy?”
Darren shook his head. “Not too busy. If there's anything, I can arrange it. What is it, Mother?”
“This time, I want you to see for yourself. Make sure she really dies in your hands this time.”
Darren was stunned, but he understood his mother's concern, so he nodded and replied, “Okay, Mom. I won't let you down.”
Grace smiled with satisfaction. “Leave tomorrow morning.”
***
The next day, Alen and some of his members also left the capital. They continued to drive towards the south.
This time, the southern border would become more crowded.