The Heiress’ Return: Six Brothers at Her Beck and Call (Wynter Quinnell) novel Chapter 1921

On the other side, Wynter arrived at the amusement park. After wandering around for a while, she finally spotted Wolf and Jules from behind and walked toward them.

When she was just a dozen feet away, Wolf sniffed the air and suddenly turned to look at Wynter. "Boss, I smelled you coming."

"Good job, Wolf," Wynter said, then turned to Jules. "Jules, are you having fun?"

Jules beamed. "Yeah! Wolf took me on so many rides. There's just the Ferris wheel left."

Wynter gently ruffled her hair. "That's good. It's still early, so you can still play whatever you want."

Jules grabbed Wynter's hand. "Mhm! Ms. Wynter, do you want to come on the Ferris wheel with us? I heard the view from up there is amazing!"

"Sure." After all, who could refuse such an adorable girl? The three of them headed to the Ferris wheel together.

As their cabin on the wheel slowly ascended, the scenery below unfolded before them. Even though it was daytime, the view was still breathtaking.

Jules pressed her face against the window. "Ms. Wynter, it's so beautiful! But it would be even prettier if it were nighttime, when all of Havenia's lights lit up!"

Wynter nodded softly. "Havenia's scenery is indeed beautiful."

But there were people polluting this land—she kept that last thought to herself.

Next, she would need to investigate what these foreign forces were up to. Though some in Havenia were unfriendly, they didn't represent everyone. Havenia was still part of Cascadia, and she couldn't allow those people to run wild.

If they wanted to tamper with Havenia's economic lifeline, they'd have to ask her for permission first.

At this thought, Wynter's gaze darkened. Earlier, she had secretly memorized the website from Elio's phone. Though such websites were usually hosted overseas, Wynter knew that was merely a virtual disguise. Once cracked, she could trace its real location.

Jules, noticing Wynter's distraction, tilted her head. "Ms. Wynter, what are you thinking about?"

Wynter snapped out of her thoughts. "I was thinking about taking you to the mall later to buy some pretty new clothes."

Jules lifted her head. "Ms. Wynter, I have lots of clothes at home. Mommy and Daddy bought them for me. But we could buy clothes for Wolf! He'd look handsome in nice outfits."

Wynter chuckled. "Alright."

No sooner had she finished speaking than the Ferris wheel descended, and as the gate opened, Wynter took their hands and hopped out with them.

Wynter glanced sideways. "Jules, is there anything else you want to play? We'll head to the mall after this."

Jules pondered for a moment. "I... I want to try the roller coaster, but I'm scared. I heard there's this feeling of weightlessness."

Wynter looked at Wolf. "Don't worry. Wolf will go with you, so there's nothing to be afraid of."

Jules blinked before replying, "Then... I can try it."

Wolf tilted his head at Wynter. "Boss, what if I'm scared?"

Wynter gave him a look. "You're fearless—a roller coaster is nothing. Protect Jules."

If a fish's sorrow was known only to the water, Wolf wondered who understood his suffering.

"Let's go. I'll buy your tickets," Wynter said, heading toward the ticket booth.

Wolf had no choice but to nod. There was no way out of this now.

Soon, Wynter returned with the tickets and handed them to Wolf. "Take Jules and go have fun. I'll wait for you down here."

Wolf's eyes widened. "Wait, Boss, are you not coming? Will it just be us?"

Wynter nodded. "Obviously. Roller coasters aren't for adults. You two go ahead."

Wolf fell silent. He couldn't believe he was just a pawn in her game.

Jules tugged lightly on his sleeve. "Wolf, I'm really scared, too, but I want to try it. If you're also afraid, we don't have to go."

Hearing this, Wolf shook his head. "I'm not scared. Let's go. I'll protect you."

That made Jules giggle. "Okay."

The two walked side by side toward the entrance. After their tickets were checked, the staff quickly guided them in, pulled down the safety bar, and went over the precautions.

A short while later, once all the seats were filled and the staff had confirmed everything, the roller coaster slowly started moving.

Though Wolf was nervous too, he didn't show it. Instead, he glanced at Jules and said, "Jules, if you get scared, just scream. I'm here."

Jules nodded vigorously, gripping Wolf's hand tightly.

As they climbed the first steep slope, Jules' heartbeat quickened. The wind howled, tangling her hair, and she tried to fight the rising fear.

Before she could steady herself, the roller coaster suddenly plunged downward. An intense sense of weightlessness hit her instantly. Jules didn't dare open her eyes, shrieking as she buried herself in Wolf's arms.

Caught off guard, Wolf froze for a second. He looked down at Jules clinging to him, and for a moment, it felt like time had stopped. He forgot they were even on a roller coaster.

Gently patting her back, he murmured, "It's okay. Don't be scared. I'm right here. The only way to overcome fear is to face it."

Jules listened to Wolf's advice. Slowly, she closed her eyes and tried to steady herself against the weightlessness. But before she could adjust, the twists, loops, and inversions that followed left her pressed against Wolf for the entire ride.

Wolf felt his own heartbeat racing even faster.

This continued until the roller coaster gradually came to a stop. Jules' hands were still clenched around his clothes, her face pale.

Wolf hesitated. "Jules, are you okay?"

Jules took a deep breath. "I think my soul almost left my body."

Wynter walked over just then. "That's how roller coasters are. Come on, let's go to the mall."

...

Meanwhile, Francis took Elio back home.

Elio's eyes were hollow. "Dad, what do we do now? They gave us a few days' delay because of the property deed, but how are we supposed to come up with that much money in just a few days?"

Francis sighed. "Right now, the only option is to sneak you away. That way, they won't be able to do anything."

But Elio shook his head. "They'll definitely have people watching outside."

Hearing his tone, Francis frowned deeply. "Oh, so you do know regret. What were you thinking before? You just had to mess with gambling."

"Dad, I saw how fast the money came in and thought I could win big. I never expected things to turn out like this," Elio replied.

Francis closed his eyes. "I've already reached out to everyone I know. Everyone makes excuses the moment things get serious. Right now, all we can scrape together is 200 thousand dollars. There's no way out."

Elio blinked. "Dad, why don't you give me the 200 thousand dollars? I'll keep going—"

Before he could finish, Francis slapped him across the face. "Are you still thinking about gambling? I ought to beat you to death. Are you even my son?"

Elio covered his cheek. "But what else can we do?"

Francis lifted his gaze slightly. "That woman Mr. Humphry introduced to me was completely unreliable. She walked out the second things got tough. Otherwise, we might've had a chance."

Elio nodded. "Exactly. I didn't even say much. Who knew she'd overreact like that?"

"I'll try to think of something else. Maybe I can pull a few more strings to fix your mess." With that, Francis went back to his room alone to make calls.

…

Wynter studied him. "What mission?"

Ludovic's eyes flicked toward Dalton, Wolf, and Jules standing nearby.

Seeing that, Wynter understood immediately and turned to Dalton. "Take them inside for a drink. I'll catch up soon."

Dalton responded indifferently with a hum. With that, he led Wolf and Jules into the mall.

Once they were gone, Wynter turned back. "You may speak now."

Ludovic hesitated, then said, "Let me tell you a story. Legend says Havenia sits atop a Celestial Force—a hidden energy vein that harbors a sacred item. No one has ever found it.

"Mr. Quinnell Senior sent me here for two reasons—to uncover clues about the Celestial Force, and if anyone with ill intent discovered it, to stop them at all costs."

Wynter gave a slight nod. Gordon's influence truly stretched everywhere.

"So, do you have any leads now?" Wynter asked.

Ludovic shook his head. "None yet, but I've heard whispers recently that people are searching for the Celestial Force, trying to claim the relic for themselves."

Wynter lifted her gaze. If someone was truly after the Celestial Force, it was likely foreign forces. Connecting this to the intel she already had, their ultimate goal in targeting Havenia was clear—find the Celestial Force, seize its sacred item, and use it to destroy not just Havenia, but all of Cascadia.

After a pause, Wynter continued, "Understood. I'll look into this. But what about you? Are you just going to keep begging?"

Luvodic sighed. "I don't have a choice. I lost everything."

Wynter frowned before stating, "Even if business failed here, it shouldn't have left you destitute."

"It's because of my son. He was trapped in a scam and lost all our money. He couldn't bear it and slit his own wrists."

Wynter exhaled slowly. "My condolences. Let's get you cleaned up first. This isn't the place to talk."

...

Meanwhile, deep within Mt. Darkwood, Edgar knelt before a secluded cave's sealed stone door.

After a long silence, a hoarse voice echoed from within. "Edgar, why do you kneel here?"

Edgar pressed his forehead to the ground. "Sir… Mt. Dracorite has gone too far."

"Hm? Mt. Dracorite? Since when do they dare challenge us?"

Edgar sighed before replying, "You weren't there to see it. Webster and I attended a banquet, only to encounter a mainland cultivator. That cultivator didn't just shred Webster's soul, turning him into a fool, but she also…"

Beside him, Webster giggled vacantly, sucking on a lollipop with glazed eyes.

The voice from the cave sharpened. "You. Did you shatter your Arcane mind?"

Edgar nodded bitterly. "The cultivators from Mt. Dracorite attacked me. I was wounded, and seeing Webster's torment, I just couldn't help it. My Arcane mind collapsed."

A roar of fury shook the cave. "You disgrace Mt. Darkwood! Not only were you defeated, but you even broke your Arcane mind! Other than Kaspar from Mt. Dragon, mainland cultivators are all bark and no bite! Yet, you've shamed not just our sect, but all of Havenia's cultivators!"

Edgar bowed again, his forehead bleeding. "Sir, I've fought with everything I've got. But that mainlander… She wasn't like any cultivator. She was able to summon wronged spirits! She was more akin to a dark magic cultivator than an Arcane Way cultivator!"

The voice growled, "Enough. When my seclusion ends, I'll personally meet this 'cultivator' of yours. Now leave, and take that babbling disciple of yours with you. He is disrupting my focus."

Edgar nodded. "Yes, sir."

With that, he pulled Webster away from the cave.

Alone in the darkness, the man whispered to himself, "Mt. Dracorite, huh? Do you take Mt. Darkwood as an easy target because we keep to ourselves? Once I emerge from seclusion, I'll make sure you pay the price. The whole world will know who the true number one sect in Havenia is."