Love At The Wrong Table

Hidden in the Mountains

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Just as doubt began to creep in, Julian’s eyes lit up, and he suddenly pointed

toward the horizon, his voice sharp with excitement. “Look! There’s smoke

ahead!”

Roselynn and Ashton whipped their heads in the direction he was pointing,

and sure enough, wisps of white smoke curled lazily into the dusky sky. It was

undeniable proof that someone–or something–was there.

“Let’s go check it out,” Ashton said firmly, her tone leaving no room for

hesitation. As a seasoned police officer, bravery came naturally to her.

Roselynn, though not easily rattled, maintained her composure, yet the only

man in their trio, Julian, was visibly shaken. His heart raced, fear clinging to

him like a shadow. If it weren’t for the relentless pursuit that had driven them

into these deep, ominous woods, no sane person would have ventured into

this desolate wilderness.

“Heh, heh, it’s been ages since anyone dared to come this far. Who might you

be?” A chilling voice echoed from somewhere in the distance, followed by

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more voices that seemed to come from all directions.

“Oh, what a treat–two beauties with bodies to die for!” another voice jeered,

dripping with malice.

“Cackle, cackle, we’ve truly hit the jackpot today!”

Suddenly, disembodied voices filled the air around them, sinister and

mocking. It was immediately clear that they weren’t dealing with just one

person.

The trio’s eyes darted around the dimly lit landscape, but in the rapidly descending twilight, not a soul was in sight. The eerie disembodied laughter

only heightened the terror. Julian’s terror got the better of him; his trembling hand clutched Roselynn’s arm so tightly it hurt. Yet, in a brave yet utterly

unconvincing attempt to sound reassuring, he stammered, “Roselynn, don’t

be scared. I’ll protect you!”

Roselynn had to bite her tongue to keep from rolling her eyes. Protect her? He

could barely protect himself.

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“We’re from the Onza Summerton family!” Ashton declared, her voice ringing

with authority. “We’re here in search of the hidden Summerton clan.”

A sudden, oppressive silence followed her words, thick as fog. The air hung

heavy, and the three of them exchanged anxious glances, swallowing

nervously. Had they just walked straight into the lair of bandits?

“Oh, the Onza Summerton family, you say?” one of the voices returned,

dripping with skepticism. “How do you plan to prove that?”

Julian fumbled desperately in his pockets until he retrieved a jade pendant,

its surface glinting faintly in the waning light. Etched into it was a single

character: ‘Summerton.‘

“This is our proof!” Julian called out, his voice edged with desperation. “I’m the

heir of the Onza Summerton family. Someone here is bound to recognize

me!”

Suddenly, in a blink, a dark shadow shot past, and before Julian could even register what had happened, the pendant had been snatched right from his

Hidden in the Mountains

hand.

Ashton, her senses sharpened by years of martial training, reacted instantly.

She reached out to grab the figure, but her efforts were in vain–the shadow

moved with a speed and precision far beyond her abilities.

“Return that pendant, or I’ll shoot!” Ashton growled, drawing her gun and

pointing it toward where the shadow had disappeared.

“Heh, heh,” a voice sneered from the darkness. “You think a gun scares us? This content belongs to Nô/velDra/ma.Org .

That’s a child’s toy to us.”

Then, as if speaking to someone else, the voice muttered, “But it seems this is

the Summerton family’s pendant. After all these years, someone from the

Onza branch has finally come to find us.”

“Family, eh? We’re all family.” The voices snickered once more, sending a chill

through the air.

Just then, a figure emerged from the shadows–a man with long braids that

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swung from his oversized head, his small, squat body casting an oddly

grotesque silhouette. His appearance was so unsettling that the three

couldn’t help but flinch.

“What are you doing here instead of making money out in the world? You

should be providing us with supplies and weapons, not skulking around in

these woods,” the large–headed man barked, his tone filled with suspicion.

“To tell the truth,” Julian stammered, struggling to compose himself, “we’re

being hunted down. We’ve come here seeking sanctuary.”

“Hunted down? By whom? Who would dare?” The large–headed man’s voice

boomed, fury crackling in his words.

Though the hidden Summerton family had sent out people to establish

contact with the Onza branch, those guarding the mountain were largely ignorant of current events and remained out of touch with the world beyon

“It’s probably Teddy from Zovince,” Julian spat out, his voice tinged with hatred. He didn’t care about pointing fingers–there was no doubt in his mind

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who was responsible. Teddy was the only one with the means and motive to

try to erase their existence.

For years, the Summerton family’s arms business had clashed with Teddy’s,

and Julian was convinced this was the reason behind Teddy’s ruthless

pursuit–a calculated move to kill two birds with one stone.

“Teddy, huh?” The large–headed man sneered. “I’ve heard of him–a wolf in

sheep’s clothing. And now he wants to snuff out the last spark of the

Summerton family? Despicable.”

His anger flared as he ranted, but after a moment, he turned his attention

back to Julian. “Since you’re family, come with us. We’ll take you to meet the

Patriarch of the Summerton clan.”

The Patriarch?

Roselynn and Ashton exchanged uneasy glances. The more they heard, the

more the hidden Summerton family seemed like a group of mountain kings

ruling over this secluded region with an iron fist.

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Julian, too, wasn’t sure

to expect. He had never wanted to inherit the

his father had ventured into this remote

family’s legacy, and not even

enclave. Who knew what awaited them in the depths of the hidden

Summerton family?

Still, there was no turning back now. They had to go forward and uncover the

truth, no matter what it might be.