Chapter 242
“Fuck off. Believe it or not, but I’ll kill you!” the disabled man snarled, his fury palpable.
Carlisle, worried that the man might be part of a group, said, “You can deceive others, but not my girlfriend!”
The man glanced at the 20–dollar bills still in Wanda’s hand.
He gritted his teeth in frustration and said with a hint of menace, “Take your girlfriend and get out of here. Don’t let me see you again!”
With the end of the workday approaching and schools about to let out, more tourists would soon be on the island. To avoid losing his begging opportunities, he chose to back down.
As Carlisle and Wanda walked away from the tense situation, Wanda was still troubled by doubts.
“He doesn’t have legs. How could he be faking it?”
Carlisle explained, “They are trained to tuck their legs under themselves.”
He knew of the deceptive techniques that exploited sympathetic passersby, having become aware of such frauds through his experience.
Wanda was curious about Carlisle’s discernment and asked, “How did you figure it out?”
With a knowing smile, Carlisle elaborated, “He wore long pants on a sweltering day, a clear sign he was hiding something. If he were genuinely disabled, he wouldn’t have a reason to hide his legs.”
He even warned that future con artists might employ realistic prosthetics to further their deceit.
Wanda expressed her frustration, “These people are despicable. We should have exposed him right there.”
Carlisle shook his head.
“They likely operate in a small group. If we mess with their livelihood, we could have trouble coming our way!”
“I wonder how many kind–hearted people have been deceived. I simply don’t understand these people. They have hands and feet, so why can’t they find a legitimate job?” Wanda complained, wrinkling her nose.
Carlisle stuffed his hands in his pockets and looked ahead.
He murmured, “This is just the tip of the iceberg. Once the Internet develops further and smartphones become widespread, internet scams and telephone fraud will become rampant.”
Wanda pursed her lips.
“They may think they can get away with this, but karma will catch up with them eventually.”
The evening grew darker as they continued their walk, the path illuminated by twinkling fairy lights strung along the trees.
Chapter 242
Carlisle discreetly texted Heath, who quickly grasped the situation and instructed Wade to deploy a team to Yearning Island.
Meanwhile, Carlisle and Wanda arrived at a plaza–like platform at the end of the road.
An old man was fishing off the edge, and the couples nearby were participating in the romantic activity of
releasing sky lanterns into the night sky.
Wanda’s eyes sparkled with delight.
“Carlisle, I want to release a sky lantern, too.”
Responding to her wish, Carlisle purchased two lanterns from a nearby stall.
He then crouched to light the wax block inside Wanda’s sky lantern.
“Remember to make a wish when it goes up!”
“Alright!”
Wanda nodded.
As the sky lantern slowly began its ascent, she clasped her hands together, closed her eyes, and whispered her wish into the quiet of the night.
“I hope Carlisle and I can have a perfect future together.”
Carlisle joined Wanda in the ritual, bringing his hands together.
He silently wished, “I hope Wanda will have quite a few of my kids.”
This moment did not escape Leon’s keen eye.
He captured several photos of the couple making their wishes, then lay on the ground to capture a more dramatic shot with the lantern–filled sky as a backdrop.
When the two opened their eyes, Wanda asked, “What did you wish for?”
“It won’t come true if I tell you.”
“Alright. Then let’s launch another sky lantern!”
They lit another lantern, watching it ascend as they closed their eyes and made more wishes.
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