Kennard's POV
This time, I saw it clearly.
When my father poured the Scandinavian Milk Mead for me, he quietly covered a hole in the container, altering its contents.
So even though I agreed to give up the company, they were still going to drug and destroy me.
But why?
I remember getting tested as a kid when I was sick, proving without a doubt that I was their biological son. Even a tiger won’t eat its cub. So why would they do this to me?
Questions swirled in my mind, but I knew now wasn’t the time to dwell on them.
Digging my nails deep into my palm, I took the glass of Scandinavian Milk Mead and downed it in one gulp.
Then, in the next second, I bent down as if picking something up and spit the entire drink out onto the wool mat beneath me.
With them off guard, I quickly slipped out my phone and opened a chat with my fiancée, Lorelei Mann.
Most wealthy family marriages are just business deals, but I was lucky that Lorelei and I grew up together. Even luckier, I knew she was nearby, checking on a local branch here.
I dropped her my location and typed out a message asking her to come immediately, and was about to add to call the police.
But just as I hit send on the location, my father snatched the phone from my hand.
“Why are you asking Lorelei to come here all of a sudden?” he asked, squinting suspiciously at me. His expression darkened with each second.
My heart leapt into my throat, but I forced a clueless smile. “I just miss her. Can’t she come see me? Or do you have a problem with your future daughter-in-law?”
The tension thickened. My mother gave an awkward laugh to ease the moment. “Didn’t we agree this trip was just about spending time with family? Let’s not bother Lorelei right now, alright?”
The fact that they were this nervous about me contacting the outside world confirmed that there was definitely something in that drink.
Thankfully, I hadn’t actually swallowed any of it.
And even better, I hadn’t mentioned the police in my message, so I hadn’t tipped them off yet.
As my dad was about to delete the message, Jefferson leaned over to take a look at the screen. He suddenly grinned and cheerfully said, “Oh? Kennard wants his fiancée to join us? Sure! The more, the merrier.”
His confident smile sent a chill straight through me.
Could he really be that sure of himself? Was he confident enough to think even Lorelei would take his side?
No. That was impossible.
She and I had known each other since we were kids. There was no way she’d betray me.
I pushed down my unease and took the phone back. “It’s getting late. Let’s go catch the sunset on the grasslands,” I said casually and stepped out of the yurt.
But as I walked outside, I stumbled and bumped into a skinny little girl who had been gathering dried sheep dung nearby.
I helped her up gently, then a sudden idea popped into my head. Pretending to be sympathetic, I offered, “Hey, I brought lots of candy and snacks with me. Want to come with me to get some?”
Before she could respond, I took her hand and led her toward the yurt.
My parents saw this, and their eyes immediately turned cold.
“Jeff, you think Kennard’s figured something out? Is he trying to get help?” my mother asked, clearly worried.
Jefferson just waved it off confidently. “Relax. That little brat only understands the local language. Even if Kennard spills his guts, it’ll be like talking to a brick wall.”
As such, my parents were relieved.
Only what they didn’t know was that after being trapped here for three years in my past life, I had already learned to speak the local language fluently.
I couldn’t rely on Lorelei alone. This little girl might be another way out.
After quietly giving her instructions, I sent her off and returned to the yurt. Then, I faked the drug finally taking effect, collapsing limply to the ground.
Seeing my current state, my parents were immediately perked up and thrilled.
“Jeff, hurry up and bring in that old widow. It has to happen tonight,” my father said, practically giddy.
“That bastard Kennard. He still had the nerve to pity someone else earlier. He doesn’t even realize he’s about to rot here forever,” my mother sneered.
Their hushed voices floated toward me, but every word felt like a hammer striking my chest.
Just this morning, they’d looked at me with warm smiles and even sweetly called me by my nickname, "Kenn." They also expressed how happy they were that I made time for this family trip.
