The Governor

After extorting a lunch from Isabella Vale, Ethan Wraith held her soft hand, seriously explaining the trend of love to her, pointing to the love line that was divided into two parts, short in the front and long in the back. Only then did Ethan feel satisfied, his round belly protruding as he returned to his rental house.

It was daytime, but the house was still dark. Ethan rummaged under his bed, pulled out a few DVDs, selected one with a woman's picture on it, and inserted it into the DVD player. Soon, the screen displayed erotic images and sounds.

After watching for a while, Ethan felt bored. The expressions, movements, and even the frequency of the sounds were all the same, too unprofessional. Lily's were better. He had watched them too many times, and his aesthetic sense was tired. Japan was not good at this, but they did have some research on it.

Ethan then pulled out a dirty wooden box from under his bed, wiped off the dust with a cloth, and gently opened it. As soon as he opened the box, a faint, cold light flashed, and then merged with the natural color.

Ethan stroked the dark object, as if he was touching a woman's skin. Gentle, deep, and focused.

His eyes were empty, his mind drifting far away. "Old buddy, long time no see. Are you okay? I haven't seen you since Grandma Aaliyah passed away. You won't blame me, will you? How's Grandpa Mercer doing? And what about Uncle and Auntie? Are they thinking of me? Without me, their breasts won't develop, right? I really miss them."

Ethan let out a faint sigh, then raised his hand, and the thin iron plate was nailed to the wall. A mosquito was cut in half, falling down.

Ethan bitterly smiled. "Haha, it's been a long time since I practiced. I'm a bit rusty. My seniors must be better than me."

Ethan was startled by a knock on the door and quickly ran to open it. "Ethan, something's happened," Sophia Mercer said, her face full of panic.

"What's wrong, Sophia?" Ethan helped Sophia wipe away her sweat, gesturing for her to calm down.

"My dad was taken away."

"Taken away? By whom? What's going on?" Ethan asked while putting on his clothes.

"I just got back from school, and Uncle Kingsley called to say someone accused my dad of embezzlement. I don't know where they took him." Sophia's tears were about to fall.

"Don't cry, Sophia. It's okay. Uncle Mercer wouldn't embezzle money. Someone must be framing him. Let's figure out what's going on first. Can you give me the phone number of Uncle Kingsley's house? I'll call and ask about the situation."

Sophia's father was an accountant at the city's education bureau, an honest and kind man. How could he embezzle money? It must be someone's trap. Ethan thought of Thomas, and his heart was also anxious. He hoped nothing bad would happen to Uncle Mercer.

Sophia gave Ethan the phone number, and he immediately dialed it. Unexpectedly, his new phone was already being used. "Hello, who is this?" a rough male voice came from the other end.

"Hello, Uncle Kingsley. I'm Ethan Wraith, Sophia's brother. I heard Uncle Mercer got into trouble. Can you tell me what's going on?"

"Ah, yes. It happened like this. Today, I was playing chess with Uncle Mercer in the office when suddenly some police came in. Uncle Mercer stood up and said it was him, and the police took him away, saying he was suspected of embezzlement. ——Damn it, I've known Uncle Mercer for over twenty years. I know what kind of person he is. He wouldn't embezzle money even if you asked him to kill a chicken. Uncle Mercer must have been framed."

"Do you know where Uncle Mercer was taken?"

"The police station. ——That's strange. Embezzlement shouldn't be handled by the police station."

"Is that so? Uncle Kingsley, can you help us out?"

"Don't worry, little Lin. I'll definitely help. I'm friends with Uncle Mercer. Okay, I'll go now. I'll call you as soon as I have any news. Is this your phone number?"

"Yes, it is. Thank you, Uncle Kingsley."

Ethan hung up the phone, thought for a moment, and asked Sophia, "Do you know Evelyn Hartwell's phone number?"

"I do. It's in the phone book. I'll go get it."

Sophia quickly came back with the phone book. "Ethan, here's Evelyn Hartwell's phone number."

Ethan and Sophia took a taxi to the "Lan Yin Pavilion" and met Evelyn Hartwell, who was already waiting at the door. The girl's figure was lonely and slender under the early evening lights. Ethan noticed that Evelyn was different from the last time, but couldn't quite put his finger on the difference.

When they saw Ethan and Sophia, Evelyn greeted them. "Let's go in and eat something first, then we'll think of a way. Sophia, does your mom know about this?"

"My mom is still out, and I can't contact her."

The three went upstairs, and Evelyn had already arranged the seating. As soon as they sat down, the waiter brought out the dishes. "I thought you two might not have eaten, so I ordered something. Let's eat first, then we'll figure out what to do."

Sophia thanked her, but had no appetite. Ethan was already quickly devouring his food.

While Ethan was eating, Sophia told Evelyn about the situation. Evelyn listened, nodding her head, and said, "This must be Thomas's doing."

"What do we do now?" Sophia anxiously asked, tears falling again because she felt guilty for involving her father.

"I want to see your father," Ethan said, raising his head from the plate, his voice muffled.

———

Everyone has a corresponding number. Ordinary people have their age, birthday, phone number, and bank account number, while some numbers symbolize a person's identity. For example, the British Prime Minister's 10 Downing Street address. In this city, the governor's mansion on Robinson Avenue was also a symbol of identity.

The house was enormous, but the furniture was sparse, and the decorations were extremely simple, with a few ordinary pieces of furniture arranged in a straightforward manner, giving the house a deserted feel.

What kind of person was the governor?

Evelyn said her father would be back soon, and the three could only wait in the living room. Even Evelyn's mother came back from work and greeted Ethan and Sophia.

No wonder Evelyn was voted one of the school's beauties. Looking at her mother, one could imagine how beautiful she must be. She just didn't know how to dress herself. Or maybe it was intentional.

A car drove up, and the sound of the door opening was heard outside.

Ethan felt a bit strange, as it had been a long time since he had seen such a high-ranking official.

The governor had returned.