Chapter 105
The city in the early afternoon was loud, restless, and crowded.
Cars filled the streets, horns echoed from every direction, and people moved like flowing water along the sidewalks. Inside a black sedan moving steadily through the traffic, Adrian sat in the passenger seat, his eyes fixed on the navigation screen in front of him.
Kai was driving.
“You sure this is the address?” Kai asked, glancing at the screen and then at the messy street ahead.
“It’s the one we traced,” Adrian replied. “The last registered location connected to the man who sealed my memory.”
Kai snorted softly. “If that guy really did something that big to you, I doubt he’d be living somewhere normal.”
Adrian didn’t answer immediately. His fingers tapped lightly against his knee.
“That’s why I want to see it with my own eyes,” he finally said.
The road they were on slowly grew narrower. The tall buildings and clean storefronts faded behind them, replaced by older, crowded structures. Clothes hung from balconies. Small shops were squeezed together. The smell of fried food, smoke, and dust mixed in the air.
“This place…” Kai frowned. “Feels like the kind of area people disappear in.”
Before Adrian could respond, Kai slowed the car.
Up ahead, a crowd had gathered on the side of the road.
People were standing in a circle, phones raised, voices overlapping.
“What’s going on?” Kai muttered, slowing even more.
As they passed, they heard snippets of conversation.
“I swear she just used needles!”
“The old woman was dying just now!”
“She couldn’t even breathe!”
“Now look at her, she’s sitting up!”
Adrian turned his head to look.
In the middle of the crowd, an old woman was sitting on a folding chair, her face still pale but her eyes open and clear. A few minutes ago, from what the people were saying, she had been on the verge of death.
Standing in front of her was a young woman in simple, old–fashioned clothes, her long hair tied back. Beside her was a girl dressed like a maid, looking nervous and protective.
Princess Elowen.
And her maid.
Of course, no one here knew that
To the crowd, she was just a strange but beautiful young woman who had performed a miracle with a few silver needles.
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Elowen carefully pulled the last needle from the old woman’s arm. “You’ll be fine now,” she said softly. “But you must rest. No heavy work for a while.”
The old woman’s hands trembled as she grabbed Elowen’s sleeve. “Young lady… thank you… thank you… I thought I was going
to die…”
Her family members were crying in relief.
At that moment, a luxurious car slowly stopped at the side of the road.
A well–dressed middle–aged woman stepped out, followed by two bodyguards.
She had been watching the whole scene from her car.
“Who saved her?” the woman asked.
People immediately pointed at Elowen.
“That girl!”
“She used needles!”
“It was amazing!”
The rich woman walked over, her eyes sharp and evaluating. “You,” she said to Elowen. “Did you really save her?”
Elowen hesitated, then nodded. “I only did what I could.”
The woman looked at the old woman, then at the family members, then back at Elowen.
“Get in the car,” she said. “Come with me.”
The maid immediately tensed. “Your… my lady, we don’t know her.”
The woman smiled. “Don’t worry. I’m not a bad person. My family is very wealthy. If you can cure people like this, you can make a lot of money.”
Elowen didn’t really understand what “a lot of money” meant in this world. But she and her maid had nowhere to go.
After a brief hesitation, she nodded.
They got into the car.
At the same time, a few dozen meters away, Kai finally managed to drive past the crowd.
“That was noisy,” he said.
Adrian was still looking at where the crowd had been. For a brief moment, he felt… something
A strange, faint pull in his chest.
But the car had already passed.
He shook his head slightly. “Probably nothing ”
They continued driving
Inside the luxurious car, Elowen sat by the window, looking at the unfamiliar city with curiosity. Then, suddenly, her eyes widened
“Stop!” she said.
The rich woman looked at her. “What’s wrong?”
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“I… I saw him,” Elowen said, her voice shaking slightly.
“Saw who?”
“The person I’m looking for” Elowen said, pressing her hand to her chest. “Thats Adrian”
“Your saw him?” The maids asked curious.
She looked back through the rear window.
The black sedan was still visible in the traffic.
“Follow that car,” Elowen said urgently.
The rich woman frowned. “Why?”
“I need to see him,” Elowen said. “Please.”
Something in her tone made the woman hesitate. Then she shrugged. “Fine. Follow that black sedan.”
The driver obeyed.
Two cars moved through the city, one following the other without either side realizing it.
After about twenty minutes, Kai parked the car in front of a narrow, worn–down apartment building.
“This is it,” Kai said, looking around. “Doesn’t look like a place someone powerful would stay.”
Adrian got out of the car, his expression dark.
The building was old. Paint was peeling off the walls. The stairs were cracked. The air smelled damp.
“This place…” Adrian said quietly. “Someone who could seal my memory and even interfere with my mother’s fate wouldn’t live here.”
“Let’s check anyway,” Kai said.
They went inside and climbed the narrow stairs.
When they reached the door with the number matching the address, Kai knocked.
No answer.
He knocked again.
Still nothing.
A neighbor peeked out from another door. “Who are you looking for?”
Adrian took out his phone and showed a sketch of the man.
“Do you know him?”
The neighbor looked at it, then nodded. “Ah, him. He moved out more than a week ago.”
“Where did he go?” Kai asked.
The neighbor shook his head. “No idea. He didn’t say anything. Just left.”
Adrian’s eyes darkened.
“You’re sure?”
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“Of course. That place has been empty since then.”
Another person nearby added, “He barely talked to anyone anyway.”
Adrian stood there in silence for a moment.
Then he let out a slow breath.
“I knew it,” he said. “There’s no way someone like that would stay in a place like this for long.”
“So we’re late,” Kai said.
“Yes,” Adrian replied. “By at least a week.”
They went back downstairs.
Outside, Kai leaned against the car. “So what now?”
“We keep looking,” Adrian said. “We’ll sure her another lead.”
They got back into the car and drove away.
They didn’t notice the other car parking a short distance away.
Inside that car, Elowen was staring at the empty street where Adrian’s car had just left.
“That’s him,” she said with certainty. “I’m sure.”
“But he’s gone,” the maid said.
Elowen looked at the building. “He came here. That means he’s nearby.”
The rich woman frowned. “You’re telling me you chased that car just to come to this broken place?”
“Yes,” Elowen said. “But now he’s gone.”
She hesitated for a second, then made a decision.
“I have to find him,” she said.
The maid looked worried. “Your Highness… this world is dangerous.”
“I know,” Elowen said softly. “But I can’t turn back now.”
She got out of the car.
The rich woman sighed. “You two are really strange. Fine. I’ll help you a little. But after that, you’re on your own.”
Elowen bowed slightly, “Thank you.”
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
