The Contracted Ever After (Cordelia and Ronan) novel Chapter 733

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Sienna blasted Samantha with a harsh message: "You, my own daughter, can't hold a candle to Cordelia's dad. The first time I met him, he handed your mom a cool million and got her out of a tight spot. But you? What good are you? A hit-and-run killer. You better never show your face around here again. If you do, I'll be there to see you get what you deserve."

At that moment, Samantha was holed up in a modest apartment in Finland, having fled there. With an international warrant on her back, she couldn't exactly wander around town carefree. Reading Sienna's words on Messenger sent a chill down her spine and reminded her of the loneliness that comes with being a stranger in a strange land.

The hitman had botched the job, taking out Jayson but not Callum. Her mission incomplete, Samantha couldn't face Alana, swallowing the loss in silence, a double defeat without a penny of the promised "reward."

She clung to her Messenger, but fear of police surveillance kept her from responding to messages or sending any of her own.

Samantha knew that Cordelia's well-to-do father, August, had gone back home. From Sienna's snide remarks, it seemed he had struck it rich.

Life in Finland was tough for Samantha, forcing her to scrape by with menial jobs like washing dishes or weeding gardens. She longed for a change.

So, she crafted a fake identity, adopting the nondescript name Zoey, blending in without drawing attention. She tried her luck at various companies, but as an Asian immigrant with a sketchy resume, she faced rejection after rejection, until, desperate and out of options, she walked into an import-export firm, fully expecting another dead end due to the company's impressive size.

But to her surprise, she landed the job. The company was welcoming to Asians, and the interviewer was Asian too—a stark contrast to the other places where language barriers added to her troubles. The position? Janitorial staff.

After the interview, while leaving the lobby, a large photo caught her eye—a name stood out: Gucheng.

"Could it really be... August?" she wondered.

Looking closely, she recognized the man she once knew as movie star August, captured in photos with various people. But Samantha had no clue what August's current state of mind was; that would have to wait until his return to Finland.