C4 Tinderbox

In a private estate in New Jersey, a tall man dressed in a sharp suit stood. The blazing sun cast long shadows on the grass, and the shotgun on his raised arm moved swiftly.

"Bang, bang!" Two loud sounds, and two red smoke clouds swiftly emerged in the air, quick and precise.

Viktor was astonished, recalling his boss's marksmanship when dealing with the cruise director a few days ago—both admiration and fear overwhelmed him.

"Any updates?" Before he could speak, Andrea spoke first.

Two target discs simultaneously traversed the sky from different directions.

"Bang, bang!"

Hits again, no shots wasted.

Viktor rubbed his ears, which were left muffled by the gunfire, and walked back to Andrea. "The celebration banquet for the collaboration between Wings Group and us is all set up, just as the boss wanted."

Andrea grunted and tossed the gun to Viktor.

The sunlight fell perfectly on a private plane in the distance. The silver wings gleamed like the edge of a dagger.

He tightened the strap on his arm, and the angular metal buckle of his glove left shallow marks.

"What happened on the cruise and in the apartment is my bottom line. It's also the last time."

He turned around, took another rifle handed by a waiter, and loaded it.

Viktor's face turned pale, silently following him. He assured quietly, "Don't worry, boss. I'll handle this and give you a personal update afterward."

"Update?" Andrea Caruso stopped. "Handling traitors is always my job. Have you forgotten?"

"But, Mr. Wen..." Viktor hesitated.

He knew Andrea hated betrayal the most, and he always dealt with traitors personally. However, if Dexter Wen got involved, things would become troublesome, and Viktor thought Andrea might break his own rule.

"Just divert his attention," Andrea said, raising the gun and facing away from Viktor. "Also, get my sniper rifle ready."

As bullets were loaded, a cork popped, and a muffled sound mingled with the refreshing scent of fruits from the champagne bottle.

Jade watched the woman sitting on the ground, drinking for three days, feeling restless and sighing.

Andrea indeed kept his word. After the engagement banquet, he had locked the two of them in the apartment. Except for the daily meals delivered by the housekeeping staff, Willow had lost the right to go out.

After a few days of trying to resist, Willow seemed tired and chose to compromise by drowning her sorrows in alcohol. Jade couldn't take it anymore and snatched the bottle from her arms, saying, "You need to control yourself."

Willow sneered, tugged at the corner of her mouth, and without a word, reached for another bottle.

A name lit up on the table's phone.

Seeing Mrs. Wen's call, Willow's expression froze for a moment, but she still picked up the phone and walked away.

Seizing the opportunity, Jade once again took out the communicator hidden in the cabinet and headed to the rooftop.

She had been anxiously waiting for Myron's message for days.

With the communication card inserted, a small red dot appeared in her inbox a few seconds later.

Opening the message, Jade found that Myron had finally sent the information about the Branconi Family.

Uncertain when Andrea would probe again, she glanced behind to ensure no one was there, then quickly pulled out the communication card and stuffed it back into the lighter cap.

With a flick, the flame ignited. She lit a cigarette and waited.

Willow remained silent, standing and observing her for a moment. Her gaze fell on the phone Jade had turned off and the freshly lit cigarette, carrying a mysterious hint.

"What?" Jade turned to her, sounding composed.

Willow smirked, handing the phone to Jade. "There's a banquet tomorrow at Andrea's estate. You have to accompany me."

"Sure," Jade nodded. Willow complained, "For some reason, there's hunting after the banquet."

Pausing for a moment, she reminded Jade, "Remember to have Viktor prepare two sets of hunting gear."

*

Early the next day, Jade accompanied Willow and boarded a private plane heading to New Jersey.

After a rain, the sky cleared, revealing a vibrant rainbow. The plane landed at a massive seaside estate, a colonial-era Victorian-style building nestled against the mountains and facing the sea. Behind the estate were reportedly two mountains, both owned by Andrea Caruso.

On the sunny side, there was a vineyard, while on the shady side, it was reserved for hunting and leisure. The banquet took place inside the estate.

Willow wore a tight-fitting fishtail gown, featuring a deep V neckline and an open back. In striking red, complemented by her voluminous curls and vintage red lips, she was undoubtedly a prominent figure in Singapore's social circle.

Viktor was already waiting below. Seeing Jade following Willow, his brows furrowed unfriendly.

Considering the occasion and the accompanying personnel, bodyguards sometimes needed a slight makeover to meet the banquet requirements. Forced by Willow, Jade had applied light makeup.

Her cat-eye makeup accentuated her bold and charming features, a mix of charm and fierceness, undoubtedly the two most eye-catching figures at the event.

Following Viktor, they entered the estate. Faint Baroque chamber music flowed out of French floor-to-ceiling windows. The banquet was underway.

Passing through a long corridor, the two large doors of the reception room were pushed open—bright music, the scent of champagne and whiskey, and the crystal chandelier above reflecting countless sparkles...

Revelrous, and Hedonistic.

Jade recalled these two words.

The guests had arrived, all core figures from Navoi and Wings. The media participants were unified and arranged in the outdoor area.

Willow maintained a cold demeanor throughout, uncooperative with the media photographers, walking directly through the guests to her designated seat.

"Mr. Wen is over there," Jade walked over to remind her, pointing to the media interview area.

"Okay," Willow responded indifferently, not bothering to turn her head.

Dexter Wen, however, noticed her and, after rejecting the media, approached.

"Why haven't I seen Mr. Caruso?"

After not seeing each other for a few months, the first question was about someone else.

Willow sneered, "Why even ask me? Just pick up the phone and save time.""

Dexter's face visibly darkened.

In public, he couldn't act out, so he angrily turned to Jade and scolded, "Took you this long to show up. You guys busier than me or what?"

"How dare I," Miss Wen continued sarcastically, "Mr. Wen is juggling work and personal life, sleeping in two beds in one night. I can't out-busy that."

Dexter was so angry he couldn't speak, just as he was about to explode, a tall figure approached from their side.

"Mr. Wen," the man spoke with a clear and gentle voice, "Mr. Caruso's plane has arrived; he'll be entering the venue soon."

Jade was stunned, looking up at the man behind Dexter.

Typical eastern Asian features, wearing glasses, appearing cultured, yet his facial lines were clean and sharp.

Dexter eased up a bit, turned his face, and introduced them, "This is Vincent, the head of the legal department at Wings' New York branch, sent by Wings to New York."

He glanced at Willow and, in a commanding tone, said, "Get to know each other."

"Hello, I'm Vincent," the man extended his hand, what a good-looking hand.

Willow ignored him, creating an awkward atmosphere.

Jade had to intervene, shaking hands and smiling after a nod, considering it an introduction.

A stir arose in the crowd; the lights dimmed a bit, and the music gradually lowered. Amidst applause and flashes, a man calmly walked onto the stage.

Today, Andrea wore a white shirt with a black suit, a dark gray vest adding an elite touch, completely devoid of the sinister vibes from the night in the apartment.

However, no matter where he was, it seemed he was stingy with any hint of a smile.

Dressed impeccably, he still looked like an emotionless ice sculpture.

Jade looked away but noticed Willow glancing in a certain direction. Following her gaze, she saw an Asian man in a dark gray suit.

She hadn't seen this person before, but from Willow's tender gaze, Jade seemed to understand something.

Probably, he was the gentleman who's secretly involved with Ms. Wen—Donovan, right?

Jade was startled but instinctively looked at Dexter.

However, he remained calm, showing no signs of awareness.

Jade finally breathed a sigh of relief.

In such an occasion today, if this father and daughter started quarreling, she could only imagine the difficulty of handling it herself.

Fortunately, the banquet didn't last too long, and Donovan only briefly met with Navoi's people before leaving in a hurry.

The two main characters delivered speeches, answered questions from the attending media, and guests gradually dispersed. Business matters concluded, leaving only private affairs for the two families.

Jade followed Willow to change into hunting attire and waited at the river mouth about a kilometer from the estate for Dexter and Andrea.

The river flowed into the sea, making it easy to enter the mountains against the current or leave with the current, reducing the risk of getting lost.

Armed with equipment and bodyguards, the group ventured into the deep forest.

Andrea led silently in the front, seldom uttering a word. The atmosphere between Willow and Dexter was also strange, the group moving in silence.

Suddenly, a dark red figure entered their sight at the river mouth—a fawn.

Perhaps having not yet faced danger, the little deer showed more curiosity than fear towards the group. Upon hearing footsteps, it just turned its head, staring blankly at them.

Andrea raised his gun.

"Bang!"

The bullet fired, echoing throughout the river valley. Birds on both sides fluttered away, and the deer drinking water vanished.

Dexter stared at Willow beside him, furious, "What are you doing?!"

With innocent eyes just like a deer, Willow replied, "I'm hunting."

Dexter was so angry that he almost spit out blood, glancing at Andrea, who had retracted his gun. "Your shooting skills, really? Can't you see Mr. Caruso has already raised his gun?"

"I saw," Willow retorted. "Since we're hunting together, do we have to wait and see who shoots first?"

Dexter clenched his teeth, his face turning pale.

Jade, accustomed to the disputes between the father and daughter, saw that Andrea showed no intention of intervening, so she had to step forward herself, tugging at Willow's gown.

Willow glanced at her, sneering, "I thought someone had a dog to keep an eye on me; didn't expect the watchdog to enjoy her role so much."

"Slap!!!" A deafening sound.

Dexter raised his hand and, in front of everyone, slapped Willow.