Ch 329 - Shattered Dreams

"If you want to stay here, I'll stay with you. Just say the word, and I'll always be with you." Alex looked at Debbie and smiled. These last few weeks being here at the Moon Palace with her had been the most relaxed he had felt in a long time.

"You make me laugh!"  Debbie affectionately touched his nose with her pale fingers. She turned to face the lake and said, "After spending so much time with you, I can see that you are ambitious, and you have a big heart. But you can't abandon your family. After all, you've got your parents and all your relatives back home. You've been thinking about going back to your family one day, haven't you?"

Alex was speechless. He felt as if Debbie had stabbed him. Of course, he had never forgotten his family, not for a moment. But if staying away from them meant that his family could prosper, he was willing to remain out of their lives forever.

Unfortunately, ever since Nathan had defeated the Drake family back in Washington DC, the future of Alex's family looked bleak. What would Nathan do with Alex's father and mother if they fell into his hands?

At his grandfather Lincoln's birthday party, Alex had also found out that George, the owner of Harmony Island, had betrayed the Ambrose family. George had turned his back on them for another family, the Mitchells, who had begun to plot against the Ambrose's too. Would they be able to withstand an attack?

In Alex's opinion, as strong and powerful as his family was, they were suffering from several problems from the outside and within. If they weren't careful, hundreds of years of work, their legacy, could be destroyed at once.

"Alex, what's the matter?" Debbie asked anxiously, looking at his tense face.

"I'm all right." He calmed down and gave Debbie a reassuring smile. "Let's go take a look at the lake."

They both stood at the edge of the lake. The water was so clear you could see the fish swimming around the bottom.

Debbie squatted down and put her hand into the water. Several brave fish swam over and nibbled on her fingers.

"Debbie."

When she heard Alex calling her, she turned her head. But instead of an answer, a handful of cold water splashed on her face, sending a shiver up and down her spine.

Alex had already run away, laughing.

"I'm gonna get you, Alex!" Debbie yelled, glaring playfully at him as she stood up to chase him. Alex enjoyed joking around with Debbie and watching her chase him, running and laughing with her in the beautiful mountains, which made him very happy.

The disciples of Moon Palace stood by looking at them, their hearts full. They felt that the Lord and his lady were perfect for each other.

**

Meanwhile, in Baltimore, Chris Steadman received an update at the Steadman family villa. A few weeks before, when Alex had taken Debbie to the Moon Palace, Chris had sent two of his men to follow them. One of them had returned to Baltimore that day to give Chris a face-to-face report.

"Alex Ambrose and Debbie Stonehill, along with four other students, got off the plane together. They stopped off at the restaurant there, but only stayed for two hours while they ate and rented a car. In the restaurant, Miss Stonehill became dizzy. Mr. Ambrose was quite nervous, so they gave her some medicine, and then they drove their car to the Appalachian Mountains. We followed them for a long time and using the heat sensor we could see what was happening inside the car. We've determined that Miss Stonehill vomited blood in their vehicle", reported the men.

Chris's eyes were shining with delight. Vomiting blood would be a side effect of the poison. Once black poison water has been consumed, there is nothing in the world that can save the victim.

"When they got to the Appalachian Mountains, we stopped, because the Appalachian Highway is an endless road that leads up to vast snowy mountains. Only a man with a death wish would go up there", they said.

"Then why did they go up there?" Chris was puzzled. He couldn't figure it out.

"Do you think there are healers in the mountains? Maybe they thought they could find a way to save Debbie's life?" The men had also been baffled when they saw the car drive toward the mountains.

"Or maybe they thought that Miss Stonehill was going to die soon," Melissa suggested. "They could have taken her to the Appalachians for the scenery. She likes nature. Or, Alex thought that she was dead, so he took her up the Appalachian Mountains to find a cliff to jump off himself. The mountains are covered in snow; their bodies wouldn't rot in those conditions. Maybe he had some romantic idea that they could go there and be together forever."

"Go on, what happened next?" Chris asked his man.

"There's only one exit off the highway. We waited for them there. There's no other way they could have crossed it. If they were to return, they would most certainly have passed us. We waited there for weeks, but their vehicle never came back down. We can only conclude, Mr. Steadman, that Alex and those girls are dead."

"I agree, Chris," Melissa chimed in. "The Appalachian Mountains are cold, and there's nothing to eat there in the wintertime. If they haven't been seen in a few weeks, they must be dead!"

"Good." Chris thought for a moment. It was more than likely that Alex and his girl were dead. He turned toward the man and said "Tell your associate waiting in the Appalachian Mountains to look out for their car for another few weeks. Then he can return, and I will pay you both seventy-five thousand dollars for your work."

"Thank you, Mr. Steadman, sir, thank you!" thanked the men.

"Chris, now that Alex is dead, can you take me to see your father?" Melissa asked, looking at him expectantly.

"See my father?" Chris, who had been reveling in the joy of Alex's death, was shocked by her words. He looked at her strangely, which left her speechless and confused at his bewildered expression.

"You told me that once Alex is dead, you'd take me to see your father to discuss our wedding. You also said that you'd already taken care of the rings and were still finding a wedding dress. Aren't you going to show me everything now? I can't wait to be your wife", said Melissa with joy.

She reached out to grab him and jump into his arms, but she was pushed away.

"Melissa, you are dreaming. You are just a commoner. My family is a big name in Baltimore. Did you really think that I would marry you?" he stated bluntly.

"Chris, how can you do this? You said that you would marry me once you killed Alex. You said that you wouldn't give up until he was out of the picture. I gave up so much for you, I even offered myself to you! Chris, why are you looking at me like that?" Melissa stopped, noting that his face had quickly changed. This was not the man who had been so gentle and considerate with her before.

"Oh! You mean to act like you're innocent now. Do you think I'm a fool? I'll tell you the truth. I've been using you from the start. As it's likely that Alex is dead, you're useless to me now. But don't worry, I'll pay you for your work. Take the money and go." Chris took out a credit card and threw it in her face.

"Why did I believe him? This was just a stupid dream." Melissa suddenly laughed. She bent down and picked up the credit card. As she looked at it in her hand, she realized that this dream, everything she had imagined, had all just stemmed from her desire for money.

"Chris Steadman, I don't want anything from you!" She snapped the card in half, threw it on the ground, and walked out of the villa.

"It was all a dream. Melissa, you are ridiculous. For a dream, you killed so many people. And in the end, what did you get?" Although her eyes were full of tears, she laughed wildly.