My Substitute Wife Is a Bigwig (Lily Brooks and Loid Laurier)

Lily bade farewell to the villagers and left with Loid and the others.

As they approached the village entrance, Lily stopped in her tracks,

will get away with it. She lifted her gaze slightly and scanned her surroundings coldly. “Don’t be in a rush. I’ll come after you personally. None of you Though her voice was soft, it carried clearly to the outsiders who were hidden around her. Her icy, bone–chilling tone sent shivers down their spines. In an instant, countless shadows flickered from the surroundings and vanished.

The car was halfway through the journey back to Lagersfield City when Hawk’s voice came from the back seat right after exiting the highway at Acsion. Stop the car.”

The vehicle came to a halt, and Lily turned back. “What’s going on?

“I get off here. Hawk slung her bag over her shoulder, her leather jacket giving her an air of carefree nonchalance. “You guys stay safe. Call me if you need anything”

Loid’s eagle–like eyes lingered on How for a moment before he asked, “Aren’t you coming back with us, Ms. Hannah?”

“No,” Hawk replied with a smile. “I’ve got some other things to take care of ”

“Then I won’t insist.” Loid reached into his pocket and pulled out a business card, handing it to her.

“Contact this person if you run into any trouble. He’ll assist you.”

Hawk glanced at the name on the card, her pupils constricting slightly as her fingers stiffened. She was unsure if she should accept it.

After a long pause, she finally coolt the card. “Thank you. I’ll reach out if I need to.”

Lily also noticed the came on the card, her eyes narrowing almost imperceptibly. However, she remained silent.

After Hawk left, she propped her head on one hand and leaned against the car door, her gaze wandering lazily over Loid. She was relaxed, almost nonchalant.

The name on the card Loid had given to Hawk belonged to Venom. Lily couldn’t help but wonder if he had somehow pieced together Hawk’s identity. Despite her curiosity, Lily appreciated that he hadn’t pressed for details, leaving the matter neither confirmed nor denied. Rubbing her temples, she felt a surge of irritation What exactly was the deep–seated animosity between Loid and Venom that drove them to such lengths?

Caught in the middle, Lily found herself in a difficult position. She was unable to fully side with either,

Sensing her gaze, Loid turned his head slightly, his voice carrying a hint of mischief. “What’s on your mind?”

“Nothing,” Lily replied as she shifted her gaze away. She pulled her baseball cap down over her face and settled into sleep

The car continued to drive smoothly down the road. It wasn’t until her soft, even breathing signaled that she had fallen asleep that Shaun finally broke the silence. “Loid, do you think Hannah looks familiar?”

“Yeah.” Loid leaned against the car window, his hand loosely holding Lily’s. He was in a relaxed posture, and his voice held no

It was likely because Lily hadn’t been sleeping well these past few days that she was now sleeping so soundly.

Shaun rubbed his chin and tried to jog his memory. “I just can’t figure out who she reminds me of.”

“Hawk,” Loid said, a lazy smile playing on his lips.

emotion.

He never would have given her Venom’s business card if he hadn’t harbored this suspicion. He wanted to gauge Hawk’s reaction, and her composed response only confirmed that she was no ordinary person. She hadn’t shown the slightest hint of recognition or unease.

Reflecting on this, Loid’s gaze shifted to Lily. A subtle smile curved his usually cold lips.

No wonder Venom had vanished as soon as they arrived in Bridgeport. Despite all their efforts, they couldn’t find a trace of him anywhere. It seemed that the key to this mystery lay with Lily.

“Exactly!” Shaun slapped his hand on his knee. “I remember now, she’s Hawk. Back when we hired her to disguise Ken, she might have been wearing makeup, but the air she gave off was unmistakable. The way she carried herself, her build–they’re the same as Hawk’s.”

Shaun was known for his sharp memory. Given that Hawk was one of the Elite Four of Alchos, he had taken special note of her. Her distinctive features and presence were hard to forget.

As he placed it together, a sudden thought struck him. He exclaimed, “Holy cray! If Hawk is actually Hannah, then how on earth does Lily know her?” From the driver’s seat, Daniel glanced over at Shaun with a hint of impatience. “What’s so surprising about that? Ms. Brooks is the infamous Reese of Aeston and Lagersfield–she’s the miracle–working doctor. Is it really that strange for her to know Hawk?”

Very Lew have

“Dut Hawk is one of the Elite Four of Alchos, Shaun continued, his tone growing more serious. “The Elite Four are practically ghosts. Very som their true faces. We haven’t even had the privilege for that. Lily’s incredible, but her knowing someone like Hawk from Alchos is pretty usual.”

Shaun paused, a dawning suspicion creeping i into his voice. “Could it be that… she’s one of the Elite Four?”

Loid turned his gaze to Lily, who was sleeping beside him. His eyes darkened with that thought, a myriad of possibilities swirling in their depths.

Daniel glanced over at Shaun, a thoughtful expression crossing his face.

Given Lily’s abilities, it wouldn’t be too far–fetched to think that she could be involved with Alchos.

“If she’s one of the Elite Four, who do you think she could be? Shaun pondered aloud, rubbing his chin.

“It’s unlikely she’s Venom. The last time we were chasing him, Lily was with Loid. And she probably isn’t Leopard either as the International Police are currently hunting him in Freega…“.

Shaun massaged his temples in contemplation. “She could be Hawk. But if she’s Hawk, then who was that woman just now?”

sinc

Loid snapped out of his reverie, casting a cool glance at Shaun. “This isn’t something you should worry about.”

Sham shrugged. “I’m just a bit curious.”

“How many people from the Stygian Network have returned?” Lold turned his gaze to the window, his deep eyes reflecting a calm yet intense focus.

“All of the Slayers have been called back,” Shaun replied, his demeanor shifting to seriousness as the topic turned to business.

“They’re following your orders to protect Lily from the shadows. The rest of our team is still in Freega. Recently, Antoine has been unusually interested in us, making it difficult to pull our people out.” Content protected by Nôv/el(D)rama.Org.

Loid nodded in agreement. “Pull Ken out of that situation first. Suspend all operations in Freeqa for the time being.”

“Ken is already on his way back. He should arrive tomorrow,” Shaun replied.

“Have him head straight to Bridgeport.” Loid’s eyes narrowed slightly, his voice carrying a cold edge. “And you, pack whatever you need. You’re going to Bridgeport tomorrow as well. I need you to monitor the Hutchinson family. Investigate their recent contacts and activities.”

Loid had initially planned to use Stygian Network to keep tabs on the Hidden Families and the Great Four Families in Bridgeport. However, with the International Police’s attention on their operations, getting everyone back from Freega wasn’t feasible.

He needed to stay close to Lily to ensure her safety, which left Shaun to handle the surveillance in Bridgeport.

Understanding the gravity of the task, Shaun nodded firmly. “You can count on me. I’ll keep a tight watch on them.”

The car pulled up at the entrance to Anmer Heights, but Lily was still asleep.

She was exhausted from the past few days. She didn’t stir even as they arrived. Loid, not wanting to disturb her, gently lifted her from the car.

As they reached the door, he glanced back at Shaun. “Don’t just focus on the Hutchinson family. Use this time to set up a secure defense network. In the short term, I don’t want anyone disrupting Lily’s peace.”

Shun agreed,