Chapter 14_ Surprise

April stared at the two sisters and sighed, being born in a prestigious family was too hard but she was happy her boss had loving people around her. "Madam President, what is the plan for now?"

Raine smiled and responded. "Why, of course, we need to let them know that we are following their plans. After Rosalina has eaten properly, give her a slight bashing. She has to leave my house looking properly 'interrogated'. Moreover, she's going to spend the next fifteen days in the cell with Justina and her accomplice, receiving the same treatment they are getting."

April gulped and felt a bit scared for Rosalina. She was a princess in all manners of the word. She had been brought up with a silver spoon in her mouth and had never been slapped before, how was she going to survive such treatment. "Madam President…"

"I know what you are about to say April and while I am flattered you care that much about me, I am also angry. I know what everyone thinks about me but you have forgotten that I am from the Peters family. Of what use am I to my family if I am scared of a bit of suffering? Raine was enlisted at the age of 13 and stayed in the army till she was 18, Raymond has been in the army since he was 15 do you really think I could be so useless when I have such talented siblings? I have never and will never be a disgrace to my family!!! More than anyone, I want to catch this sly crook and bash them in the face. How dare they use me."

Raine laughed at her sister's outburst. "April, Lina is right. You do not need to worry about her. If she wouldn't be able to come out with at least a breath of life in her then I would never send her inside. However, this is the easiest means to catch the culprit I'm looking for."

Rosalina and April looked at Raine in surprise. This was their first time hearing her explain her thoughts and speaking with a soft tone.

"Okay, the meeting closed. Lina go get something to eat, you might not get anything good to eat in the coming days, and April, report here when you're back from the dungeon. We have things to discuss."

April and Rosalina stood up and bowed before leaving Raine alone in her office. Raine interlocked her hands and placed them on her desk. If anyone was in the office with her, they would have noticed the chilly expression on her face.

She lasted there for 5 minutes, thinking deeply about something before her expression changed a bit and a flicker of doubt was expressed. However, it didn't last long before it was changed to an expression of conviction and she turned to the telephone on her desk with a hardened look.

She speed-dialed a number and the person on the other line picked up after the first ring.

"I must be blessed to have received a call from the Young Mistress." The voice at the other end spoke and Raine could hear the warmth and love from the tone even though the words were sarcastic.

"Mother, it has been long."

"And whose fault is that? I know that I've been pressurizing you with dates and other things but must you alienate yourself from me? I know you would never have called if your sister hadn't been sent over." Xu Wan, Raine's mother and the present Mistress of Peter's family said with grievance.

Raine sighed. This was one of the reasons she did not like calling her mother. Her mother and Rosalina were cut from the same cloth; they were overdramatic people. Unfortunately, her mother could not be controlled while Lina could.

"Mother, I am sorry but you…"

"I should understand that you are busy, shouldn't I? Okay, okay. Let me stop whining before you go back to your default settings. I shouldn't waste this good opportunity to fish for details. How was your blind date?"

"Mother, shouldn't you be worried about Lina?" Raine asked in exasperation but she was shushed by her mother.

"Lina is a criminal! You know better than to ask me how I feel about her." Xu Wan said strictly and that gave Raine an important clue.

It was just as she had thought, it went much deeper than they had realized. Raine smirked and thought that she had made the best decision to head back home.

"It was a slip of thought, mother. The date was much better than the others I had gone on. He was quite decent and was pleasing to speak with."

"Really?! What about his features? His attitude? What exactly do you think about him? Is it feasible with him?"

"Mother…"

"Wait, don't answer any of those questions! I'm going to speak with your father about this so we can call the whole family and talk about when to invite the other family over for dinner…"

"XU SHI!!!" Raine shouted in annoyance and her mother immediately calmed down and realized that she had angered her daughter.

"Stop referring to me by that name." Xu Wan timidly complained and sighed when she didn't get an answer. "Okay! I won't do anything alright? But you said you didn't have bad feelings about him so why not let me…"

"Mother…"

"But…really"

"I never told you I had a good thought about him. You jumped to conclusions." Raine said as she pinched her eyebrows. Although she had made up her mind to marry him, she wasn't dumb enough to let her mother know about it yet. In fact, she would make sure she would hide the fact that she was married until she couldn't hide it anymore.

Being married would solidify her status as the heir and would allow her to smack her relatives in their face but she was serious-minded about marriage and did not want to use it as a play of power or politics. While she was marrying only because it was necessary, she wouldn't stoop so low to disrespect her partner by using him to wipe off the smile from her enemies' faces.

Another important factor was the fact that it was too apparent that her uncle wanted her to marry his candidate. She had been a struggle with her uncle for so many years so she knew what he could do and how far he could go to achieve his goal. She wouldn't put it behind him to do everything in his power to prevent her marriage.

It wasn't like she was scared but she would rather have some peace and quiet whenever she could. If there was no need then she wouldn't lead the expedition to provoke a sleeping dragon.

"I did?" Xu Wan asked confusedly

"Yes, mother. You did. Is there anything you'd like to tell me and please mother, make it something that is not related to me finding a life partner?"

"You! Okay, it's my fault I always ask you about your life partner."

"Mother, please… not today. Wait…"

"Hmph, you have approximately 6 weeks left. It was extended after the meeting held yesterday. Make good use of it. That is true. I just remembered something. My brother called yesterday, it seems like Xu Ying is about to get married. I will not be able to visit but you are nearer to my family home, go visit your cousin. I heard she smuggled something over for you. Don't tell them I've ruined the surprise though." Xu Wan giggled and Raine smirked.

"Mother, I'm too busy to meet with her. Furthermore, I'm in charge of interrogating the criminals."

"True, I forgot about that. Send someone else over to deliver your greetings, the interrogation is more important, and don't call until you're done investigating. " Xu Wan's earlier playful disposition changed into a strict and icy one while Raine continued smiling.

"Of course, mother. I know what to do."

Raine hung up and her smile left her face. Her conversation with her mother had given her a lot of information that she had needed and so she knew more about the situation at home so she was relieved.

The only worry she had now was that she could not go back home yet but it was not all that much a worry too as she had found the perfect person to go home in her stead.

She stood up and walked out of her office, as she entered the living room, she heard the ruckus that was going on and decided to join in on the fun.

"How dare you beat my lady?" Lilith yelled as she stayed in front of her kneeling miss, trying her best to protect and block her from April.

"I've been given all the right to do so. You'd better move aside or suffer the consequences." April retorted in anger and tried to push Lilith out of the way.