True Tycoon Her Empire, Her Rules

As if guided by invisible threads, live Charms whizzed through the air towards Lucy, attaching themselves firmly to her body at various points. 

The moment Charms made contact, onlookers could only watch as they began to smoke, as if scorched, emitting tendrils of black smoke from their centers. 

With a sharp snap, the Amulet that had been resting on Lucy’s forehead broke cleanly in two. 

Meanwhile, not far from the Sanchez family, in a modest diner, a middle–aged man was grinning at a hefty bank notification on his phone. But suddenly, without warning, he spat out a mouthful of blood and collapsed onto the floor. 

Screams erupted as chaos engulfed the diner. 

Back at the Sanchez family, everyone was as silent as the grave, including Horace, with disbelief etched deep into their faces. 

Adelina was so taken aback she nearly forgot to breathe. Regaining her composure, she cautiously reached out above the Amulet and Charms as if to confirm there were no hidden mechanisms at play. 

How on earth did those Charms slap onto Lucy so swiftly? How did the Amulet just snap in two as soon as Charms began to smoke? 

“Mom!” Malcolm was slightly irritated by Adelina’s antics, while Master Lance, as if jolted by realization, suddenly shouted, 

“It’s all sleight of hand! Don’t be fooled, you guys!” He was convinced that those who claimed to have powers were nothing but charlatans, each with their tricks up their sleeves. Even the performance he had conjured earlier was a result of secret practice. 

He refused to believe that Winnie who looked barely of age could possess any genuine skill. 

If she was a master, he’d stand on his head! 

As Master Lance mulled over this, the expressions of the Sanchez family at the bedside shifted dramatically, even Adelina, who had just been probing, now stared wide–eyed. 

A sense of dread washed over Master Lance. He looked more closely and saw that Ms. Sanchez, who had been in a deep slumber, had… opened her eyes! 

Was she awake?! 

“Lucy!” Carola was the first to cry out, her voice losing its usual composure and instead, was tinged with a clear note of distress. 

Malcolm leaned in anxiously, “Lucy, how are you feeling?” 

Lucy, still groggy from sleep, murmured, “Mom? Dad?” 

Oh, Adelina’s here too. 

Lucy seemed puzzled as to why they were all gathered around her bed just because she took a 

nap. 

Looking around her room, Lucy widened her eyes. There were so many people. 

Her gaze eventually landed on Winnie. With a blink, she exclaimed delightedly, “It’s Puppy Lady!” 

The room fell silent, confusion painted on everyone except for Carola, who looked embarrassed, “Lucy, don’t be silly, it’s Winnie.” 

Lucy giggled innocently and Malcolm, at the sight of his girl acting her usual self, visibly relaxed. 

“Master Bryant, she’s alright now, isn’t she?” He asked. 

But Winnie shook her head, causing Malcolm and Carola’s hearts to skip a beat. Was Lucy not yet out of danger? 

Winnie explained, “I’ve just forcefully broken the life–stealing spell cast upon her. The culprit has suffered backlash and cannot harm Ms. Sanchez anymore. However, they tricked her into signing a life debt contract. We must find them and burn the contract. Otherwise, if they find another master, they could still use the contract to harm Lucy.” 

Hearing that Lucy could still be in danger, the Sanchezes instinctively tensed up, with Carola clutching Lucy protectively. 

Malcolm, now fully trusting in Winnie’s abilities, asked with a heavy heart, “I’ve had people review the security footage from when Lucy went missing, but we found nothing. We can keep searching, but I’m worried we might not find anything soon enough, and then…” He dreaded the thought of Lucy experiencing another coma. 

Desperately, he pleaded, “Master Bryant, is there any other way to find this villain? Rest 

assured, we’ll spare no expense for Lucy’s safety.” 

Winnie pondered briefly. “There might be one way.” 

Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a piece of candy. 

She handed the candy to Lucy, who lit up at the sight. With a gentle tone, Winnie coaxed her. “How about a game, Lucy? I’ll give you a candy.” 

Lucy glanced at the candy with longing but looked to her mother for approval. 

Carola nodded, “The lady wants to play a game with you, Lucy. Will you play along?” 

Seeing the green light from her mother, Lucy curved her eyes into smiles as she took the candy and nodded enthusiastically at Winnie. 

With a slight smile, Winnie produced a thin string and tied one end to Lucy’s thumb, the same. one that had been used to seal the contract. She then quickly drew a tiny symbol on Lucy’s 

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thumb. 

The onlookers watched the symbol flash with a golden light, then travel up the string, which suddenly stood erect, pointing in a direction as if tugged by an unseen force. 

The spectators were once again astounded. 

Lucy’s eyes were wide with amazement as she exclaimed, “Wow. I’ve got magic!” 

Winnie curved her lips up as she instructed, “Now Lucy, stand up and follow where the string points. The magic will lead you to a surprise.” 

Lucy sparkled her eyes even more at the thought of an adventure. Without further ado, she set off on her magical quest. 

Malcolm and Carola, standing nearby, quickly grasped the gravity of the situation. Without a moment of hesitation, they hastened to follow, signaling to all the security personnel stationed in their villa to join them. 

Malcolm was determined to find the culprit who dared to endanger his precious Lucy and make them pay dearly for their actions. All text © NôvelD(r)a'ma.Org.

The group descended the stairs, unsure of their destination. Malcolm instructed his staff to prepare the vehicles, but then Winnie interjected, “No need for the cars, a scooter will do just fine.” 

Carola tooked puzzled, and Winnie explained, 

“Typically, villains that steal life are cast by scattering money wrapped in purses with strands of their hair along the streets. If someone picks up and spends the cash, their lifespan is unwittingly stolen. It’s like casting a wide net. Usually, it doesn’t take much life, and the victims might not even notice. But Ms. Sanchez was clearly targeted specifically, and they even used a contract for the hex, which suggests the person must know Lucy.” 

As soon as Winnie finished speaking, Carola gasped in shock, and the next second her eyes brimmed with tears. 

Lucy, who suffered an accident in youth and was left mentally challenged, already had a life more difficult than most. And now, someone had intentionally targeted her.lifespan! Was it because they thought Lucy wasn’t pitiable enough? 

Who could possibly harbor such deep animosity towards Lucy? They didn’t even spare an innocent child who was out of her senses! 

Malcolm, normally a picture of gentle composure, now wore a look of chilling resolve. In an instant, he mentally reviewed every enemy they had ever crossed.