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0702 Determination
🕑 Added 2025-05-01 11:59:57 +0000 UTCSeeing Bryan Watson and Kingsley both fix their gazes upon her, Louise Williams involuntarily shrank her shoulders in fear under the heavy, almost suffocating pressure of their stares. She was momentarily disoriented by this sudden shift in atmosphere, her mind was swimming in confusion before clarity returned to her.
She immediately realized with a jolt of indignation what they might be planning for her—to sideline her, to exclude her from the investigation into her own brother's tragic fate.
"I'm not staying here!" She roared out, her voice emerging surprisingly strong despite the tremor in her hands.
Although the two imposing men in front of her clearly belonged to some kind of secretive government agency with considerable authority, Louise still found the courage to cry out indignantly.
"I'm going to Italy too!" She insisted, as her eyes flashed with determination and a hint of desperation. "I want to find the bastards who killed Fraser and send them to prison where they belong! He was my brother; I have to do this! I couldn't help him when he needed me most, but I can at least see that justice is served in his name!"
Kingsley's forehead creased into a deep frown, telling this wasn't the first time he'd encountered civilian resistance to official commands. However, he maintained his professional composure and didn't immediately voice an opinion on her demand.
Instead, he turned his head slightly and looked expectantly toward Bryan Watson.
"You should understand, Louise," Bryan began in a slow tone, his voice calm and reasonable, "that we're facing a group of ruthless villains who stop at absolutely nothing to achieve their twisted objectives—"
Bryan continued calmly. "As our investigation deepens, we will inevitably have to confront these dangerous individuals, which would be extremely dangerous even potentially fatal for someone like you without specialized training....
So, I strongly suggest you remain here where we can ensure your safety. Trust us, we will find these people and make absolutely certain that those who killed Fraser pay the appropriate price for their crimes."
"No, you have absolutely no right to do this!" Louise shouted angrily. She moved several steps away from Bryan and Kingsley, and picked up a soup spoon from a serving tray on the side table, and she waved it repeatedly at them like a baton.
"You have absolutely no legal right to order me to stay here against my will, even if you are special agents with government clearance, Oh, gentlemen, this would constitute illegal detention under international law, and if you dare attempt this, I swear I'll expose your illegal actions in newspaper!"
Bryan continued to look at Louise with calm eyes that revealed nothing of his inner thoughts. This sharp gaze, completely lacking of any discernible emotion or reaction to her threats, made Louise shudder from somewhere deep within her core.
Despite this unsettling feeling creeping up her spine, she summoned her remaining courage and firmly returned Bryan's stare with unwavering determination.
"I don't necessarily need to accompany you every step of the way," She continued, her voice growing slightly calmer but no less firm. "I'm a journalist with investigative experience. I have my own network of contacts and methods of uncovering clues that might complement your official channels, but you absolutely cannot imprison me here against my will. Absolutely not!"
Louise's face was firm showing her fiercely determined attitude.
Kingsley's lips moved slightly, revealing a subtle reaction to her spirited defense. Internally, he felt a complex mixture of reluctant admiration for her courage and overwhelming helplessness in the face of her naive determination.
This stubborn Muggle girl had absolutely no idea of what she was truly facing. She stood in front of the abyss of discovering a completely unknown world that existed parallel to her own, preparing to confront a group of vicious, merciless dark wizards who had demonstrated their depravity by turning innocent Muggles like her brother into Inferi.
If Mr. Watson weren't present to lead this investigation, even he, a senior Auror with decades of experience, would need to request large backup from the Department of Magical Law Enforcement when confronting such extraordinarily dangerous individuals with clearly sinister intentions.
"This makes no sense, Louise—" Bryan shook his head slowly, his voice tinged with what seemed almost like regret.
"No sense?!" Louise interrupted, her voice reaching a crescendo of outrage.
Her eyes widened and were filled with unmistakable resentment and disbelief as she shouted angrily, her each word was combined by a sharp gesture of the soup spoon that now gleamed like a silver dagger in her trembling hand.
"Investigating the murderers who brutally took my own brother's life—you have the audacity to call that 'no sense'?"
The veins on her neck stood out conspicuously as she projected her voice with all the force her body could muster.
In her emotional state, Louise had completely failed to grasp the deeper meaning behind Bryan's ambiguous words—that her involvement would endanger not only herself but potentially compromise their entire operation against an enemy whose true nature she couldn't even understand.
Bryan looked contemplatively at Louise who stood in front of him, metaphorically baring her hands and teeth like a cornered animal prepared to fight despite overwhelming odds.
His gaze deepened and became more searching, as if he were weighing multiple complex factors in his mind. Although Louise was visibly intimidated by the special aura surrounding Bryan, she didn't back down even an inch from her position.
The two sides were at a standoff in their silent confrontation, and the room momentarily fell into a tense oppressive silence. Even the crackling fire seemed to pause, holding its breath as the standoff continued.
"I'm leaving this place right now!" Louise finally said, her voice dropping to an icy coldness that contrasted sharply with her previous heated outbursts.
She felt a complex mixture of emotions, including a sharp disappointment in Bryan Watson, whom she had initially liked very much despite the mysterious circumstances of their meeting. His apparent dismissal of her right to participate in finding justice for Fraser had shattered the positive impression she'd formed of his character.
She turned her head away from them both and walked with forced composure toward the coat rack standing by the door. She took out her trench coat with trembling fingers and draped it carefully over her arm, then prepared to leave the room without further concern.
"Wait—"
Bryan finally spoke. Under Louise's vigilant gaze, he said slowly, "You're truly determined to investigate this matter personally, aren't you, Louise?"
This was such an obvious, almost rhetorical question given her emotional statements that Louise didn't deign to answer. Her silence spoke volumes about her resolve.
Her hand, however had secretly slipped into her coat pocket where she had cautiously prepared some small self-defense gadgets for protection before her journey to Cokeworth the last night.
"Alright," Bryan said after observing her face intently for several long moments. His voice carried a hint of resignation tinged with something unidentifiable—perhaps respect. "You can come with us to Italy."
He turned slightly toward Kingsley. "Kingsley, could you please help prepare the necessary travel arrangements? Our original plans will need to be modified to accommodate Miss Williams. I hope we can all enjoy authentic Italian pasta for dinner tomorrow evening—"
Before Louise could fully process this unexpected plan or show her surprise at this sudden reversal, Kingsley's expression transformed intensely. The professional mask on his face slipped briefly, revealing genuine alarm as he stared intently into Bryan's eyes. His body tensed as he said solemnly,
"Mr. Watson, you know—"
"It's perfectly fine, Kingsley," Bryan interrupted smoothly, turning his head to respond directly to Kingsley's questioning gaze. His voice softened to an almost gentle tone as he continued, "Leaving Miss Williams here against her will would indeed be deeply unfair to her, a cruel disregard—"
Bryan paused before adding in a soft voice, "She will eventually forget these painful memories."
Kingsley was taken aback for a moment. He looked thoughtfully at the somewhat confused Muggle girl, feeling a trace of genuine sympathy for her. Finally, after what seemed like an internal debate, he nodded in agreement.
Outside the window, the persistently gloomy weather had effectively blurred the traditional boundary between day and night, creating a twilight dividing line where time seemed suspended.
In the swaying, heavy curtain of persistent rain that swept across the landscape, the accumulated snow that had blanketed the city for weeks rapidly melted away. Nature was systematically erasing the last lingering traces of winter's grip on the land.
Despite the dreary conditions, the coming of spring was obvious in the new green shoots emerging from the soggy soil in the carefully maintained flower beds on both sides of the rain-soaked road.
178 Frank Street, Hurst Orphanage.
The unexpectedly bad weather conditions had slowed the cheerful steps of schoolchildren returning to their various homes, creating an unusual quietness. Yet despite the departure of most children, the orphanage was far from cold or unwelcoming.
On the contrary, the atmosphere inside was oddly warm and lively, buzzing with excitement due to the surprising and generous donation that had arrived that very morning, creating a lively, celebratory atmosphere that filled every corner of the building.
"Thank you so very much, Mr. Lawrence! You are truly a kind and generous gentleman!" exclaimed Mrs. Regan as her stern facial feature was softened by genuine gratitude.
Under Mrs. Regan's enthusiastic leadership, the permanent staff members of the orphanage had, for once, abandoned their practical, well-worn uniforms in favor of their best clothes, clothes typically reserved for holidays and special occasions.
They wore grateful and excited smiles as they gathered eagerly around a distinguished-looking man in his sixties. The gentleman was attired in a tailored black tailcoat with his silver-gray hair perfectly groomed. The staff members continuously expressed their heartfelt gratitude.
"To contribute even a small, rather insignificant amount to such a worthy charitable cause is also my honor and privilege, madam—" Lawrence responded politely.
As the staff continued their expressions of gratitude, his attention appeared to wander. He looked around the entrance hall of the orphanage, and his gaze eventually fell on a wall covered with dozens of photographs arranged beside the staircase against the wall.
"Oh, those photographs are of children who have left the orphanage over the years,"
Mrs. Regan eagerly explained to this kind elderly gentleman who had unexpectedly approached their orphanage through a government funding initiative. Her voice carried a motherly pride as she continued, "Many of them send us their latest pictures whenever they reach important milestones in their lives, and we put them here as precious mementos of their journeys after leaving our care—"
The crowd of staff members surrounding Lawrence respectfully dispersed at Mrs. Regan's implicit signal, creating a clear pathway for both him and the orphanage director to approach the photo wall at their ease.
"Mrs. Regan, if I may inquire, who is this young man—" Lawrence asked with careful casualness.
He purposefully scanned the photo wall and without much difficulty, quickly discovered a photograph of a gray-haired young man waving at the camera with a bright, genuine smile as he stood proudly in front of a magnificent pyramid. He immediately leaned forward, focusing intently on the young man in the photo, his expression revealing a hint of sadness.
"Ah, that's also a child who grew up in our orphanage. His name is Bryan Watson—"
Mrs. Regan, not noticing Lawrence's unusual expression, proudly introduced him,
"Even after leaving our care and starting his own successful life, Bryan has been very concerned about the welfare of the children here. Although his professional responsibilities keep him busy with frequent travel, he returns to stay here almost every Christmas season for a period of time."
Her face glowed with genuine affection as she added, "He is also one of the most dedicated administrators of Hurst Orphanage Foundation. In fact, this new building where our children currently live was constructed entirely with his sponsorship and personal supervision of the architectural plans—"
"Is that so," Lawrence responded, his voice dropping to a murmur.
Lawrence removed his gold-rimmed reading glasses and wiped the corners of his eyes, "So, what does this Mr. Watson do professionally now?"
"He's a business manager at a company called Grunnings Drilling," Mrs. Regan explained, referencing details from their most recent update from Bryan. "You know, his primary responsibility involves negotiating new international business opportunities for the company, which is why he travels so frequently to various countries. So, if you would perhaps like to meet him in person—"
Mrs. Regan hesitated mid-sentence, finally noticing that Mr. Lawrence's expression had shifted during her explanation. The pleasant politeness had given way to something more complex and difficult to interpret. She assumed his changed demeanor indicated displeasure at Bryan's absence from this special thank-you reception.
Lawrence, however, was silently processing a completely different realization. He was quite certain that Bryan Watson did not work at Grunnings Drilling company, as the complete transfer of ownership and management restructuring of this company had been entirely under his responsibility.
"Bryan left a contact address for us, Mr. Lawrence—" Mrs. Regan added hastily, seeing the elderly gentleman remain silent. Her discomfort grew more distinct as she searched for ways to rectify what she perceived as an awkward social situation.
"If you'd like to chat with him, we can write to him and ask him to visit to express his gratitude. Although his work is demanding, I believe he wouldn't refuse—"
"Oh, not at all necessary, madam!" Lawrence suddenly exclaimed, coming back to his senses with an almost panicked expression that bewildered Mrs. Regan. His previous composure shattered as he continued with unusual animation,
"I was just momentarily curious about your success stories—nothing more! Just a small, insignificant donation on my part, madam, it's really nothing deserving of special attention... um... certainly not worth specifically mentioning to Mr. Watson... there's really no need whatsoever to trouble him..."
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