Chapter 4
936 Words
When Jessica woke the next day, it was nearly noon.
Drawing back the heavy blackout curtains, she noticed an elegantly wrapped gift box on the nightstand. She barely glanced at it before moving on. After washing up, she went to the walk-in closet to choose an outfit for going out. There she found it stuffed with new seasonal pieces from various luxury brands.
The clothes were certainly beautiful, but they were all in the demure, ladylike style Albert preferred - not at all to Jessica's taste.
But after years of this, she was accustomed to dressing according to his preferences. She chose an outfit at random and headed out to her appointment.
Her meeting with Li Ming was set at his favorite anime-themed restaurant. In the semi-private booth, he was absorbed in a mobile game when Jessica sat down across from him. He only managed a quick "Sis Wu, let me finish this team fight" before returning his attention to the screen.
"No rush, take your time," Jessica smiled, pulling out her phone to handle some work from the film crew.
Ten minutes later, Li Ming finished the match with a triumphant grin. He dug a folder out of his bag, beaming. "Sis, here's what you asked for. Take a look and see if anything's missing."
Jessica opened the folder and began flipping through the documents and photos inside. The written information was brief - just a single page, as the subject had only been out of prison for a month and didn't have many recorded activities. But there were stacks of photos capturing plenty of useful details.
Compared to five years ago, Edward in the photos looked far older. Clearly his time in prison hadn't been kind to him. Jessica's eyes crinkled with pleasure as she studied the images of the haggard, defeated-looking man.
He was clearly still obsessed with finding her, but that was fine. Let him try - he'd never succeed. Though Albert was heartless in matters of love, he was quite reliable when it came to important tasks. It seemed he hadn't betrayed Jessica's trust in this matter.
"Well? Everything you need, right?" Ming sipped his juice, youthful face brimming with pride. " If you need anything else, just say the word. We'll take care of it, no problem."
Jessica gathered up the materials, thanking Ming for his help. Then she broached the main purpose of this meeting. "Ming, if possible... I'd like to see this man return to that place."
Ming hesitated a moment before realizing "that place" meant prison. He frowned slightly, looking troubled. "But sis, my bro and his crew never cross certain lines. I don't think they'd be willing to..."
"I understand what you mean." Jessica smiled, showing no sign of pressuring him. She simply pulled a black external hard drive from her purse and passed it over. "Regarding my request, you can look through the information here before deciding."
"I can look too?" Ming asked uncertainly.
"Of course," Jessica nodded. "In fact, I hope after you see it, you'll help convince your friend to do this."
Fortunately Ming had his laptop with him. He plugged in the drive and began rapidly scanning through the files.
Whoever compiled this was thorough and meticulous. Everything was incredibly well-organized, so it didn't take long for Ming to go through it all. But as he read on, his expression grew increasingly dark. By the end, he couldn't hold back an angry curse: "Scumbag!"
While Ming reviewed the materials, Jessica sat calmly sipping her coffee. She had personally compiled everything in that folder - photos, videos, audio recordings, written accounts. Every bit had passed through her hands.
As Ming's fury mounted, she kept her eyes lowered, watching the ripples in her coffee with an impassive expression.
Once, that folder had held all her fear and rage as well. But from the moment she learned to take up the knife, she refused to let fear hold her back. She would channel her anger into strength and courage to move forward.
So, Edward, prepare yourself for a lifetime behind bars. She had decided to use the weapon of the law to punish this scum, and she would not allow herself to cross that line again.
"sis, I understand now." Ming closed the folder, his expression grave. "If this piece of trash can't be brought to justice legally, none of us would stand for it."
In contrast to Ming's solemnity, Jessica, the person at the center of all this, remained remarkably calm. "We can send him back, but not for the crimes detailed in those files."
"I promised them that in achieving our goal, no one's information would be exposed. That was the condition of our cooperation."
"So we need new charges."
Though Ming found it challenging, he could certainly empathize. "Alright, I'll have my bro and the others look into it carefully."
"Then thank you in advance," Jessica smiled. "And if you don't mind, I have a plan here that might serve as a reference."
"Clobazam? What's that?" Ming was initially confused by the drug name, but after reading through Jessica's plan, his eyes went wide with shock.
In the end, he could only give Jessica a thumbs up in admiration. "Sis, you're seriously impressive."
"Can it be done?" Jessica asked with a smile.
"This is practically a step-by-step guide. If we can't pull it off, we'd be disgracing my bro's reputation." Feeling he had everything well in hand now, Ming adopted a confident air, his expression brimming with excitement.
Jessica was equally satisfied with the outcome. Even the usually unpalatable coffee tasted better.
- Writer
