CHAPTER 12

It took him some time to get to her, but it was too late. She didn't want to see him again. He didn't want to kill her; he wanted to keep her alive, study her, and possibly use her as a shield in the future if things went bad with the Drysdale’s.
He knew there was no turning back the moment she fell off the cliff. He even searched for her for days, but all he found was blood and shredded clothing. Her body was nowhere to be found; there was no report of a body washing up on the shore, which could only mean she was dead and gone. Her body had been devoured by sea creatures, and no one was going to derail his plans.
The clone's death also provided Douglas with something to threaten him with. They were now on the same boat, and their fates were intertwined. When he saw the real Gwen, who had been sleeping for years, he couldn't believe it. They were so like each other that they could be mistaken for twins, just like the clone he had been used to.
Despite the differences between the two, he preferred to be with a human being over a clone created in a lab. So, he had put that clone out of his mind for three years, assuming it was dead and gone, but that statement was shaken when Clara showed him a picture of a copy of Gwen in the city and one of the big malls.
He remembered how terrified she was when she told him the whole story. There was nothing in everything they received because of their investigations. It was as if that person was a ghost and no longer existed.
If it was the clone, he had killed three years before, why wouldn't she seek vengeance or confront them? Did she possibly lose her memory, or was it just another person with the same countenance as Gwen and the clone?
This problem had been causing him so much anxiety that he wished he knew where he could find this person. If he could just look at her and talk to her, he'd know if she was the clone who was supposed to be dead.
If it was really her, he was going to finish what he didn't finish the last time. He was so close to realizing his dreams, and having this clone was not something he could stand.
Even if she wasn't, he was still going to get rid of her because he didn't want another person wearing Gwen's face. People were not fools, and they could communicate. Rumors were dangerous, and he didn't want any unpleasant surprises.
He was getting married in a few days, and in those days, he was going to find that woman and deal with her, or else he wouldn't feel well.
‘‘FIND HER AND GET RID OF HER!” Nolan sent the message to a restricted number and then deleted it. If this person is given the task, he will be at ease and able to focus on other matters that require his attention.
***
The city of Clegend was one of the most prosperous in the country, and it, like all famous cities, had a long history. The city of Clegend was named after a certain General who fought valiantly for the Jerunkei, the country's name.
He was an orphan who had lost his family and village because of a foreign invasion. This young man was the only survivor who had been fortunate because he had been in the forest hunting game for his family to eat.
When he returned to the village, he was greeted by a burned-out village with dead bodies strewn about. He stopped crying, buried those who could still be buried, and left to join the army.
The young man rose through the ranks of the army and made a name for himself. His only goal and motivation were to kill those foreign invaders to avenge his fellow villagers, which he accomplished.
He never stopped fighting for his country and the King at the time, and because the monarchy was still in place, the King gave him a reward from which he could choose whatever he wanted. Back then, the General asked the King to help him rebuild the village where he grew up, and the King agreed.
The general rebuilt the village once more, and it grew from a village to a town in just three years. The town was named Clegend, which was derived from the General's surname, and it was bestowed by the King himself.
As time passed, the small town grew into a city populated by the brave and merchants. Even after so many decades, the legend persisted, and the Clegend's family was still alive and active in the military. It was one of the Clegend's big families, followed by the Wagner, who used to be merchants back in the day and laid a solid foundation for their business empire.
There were four large families in Clegend: Clegend, Wagner, Anderson's, and Sheppard's. Nolan belonged to the fourth family, which can be considered great, but people are different. Nolan has a lofty goal: to elevate his family to the highest levels of power.
To make matters worse, he is currently from the third branch, which has no rights to inherit the family business in the future.
He was quick-witted as someone who grew up knowing the difference between heaven and earth, and he knew that without money, power, or resources, he would never be able to achieve his dream. So, while he was still a teenager, he began investing in stocks and gradually grew his capital.
He began his own empire in secret because he desired to be a wolf in sheep's clothing. This completely worked for him, as he was able to build his empire to the point where it is now.
At the age of twenty-four, his company was already ranked in the top twenty in the entire country. If he uses this and his connections to the family business, his dream will come true relatively quickly.
He was a cunning and devious individual. This problem necessitates stratagems, and any slight deviations will cause everything to crumble, which he was unwilling to face after so many years of planning.
The business world was like a battle, and you had to keep fighting or else you'd be defeated and pushed out. Many small things had caused many businesses to fail such as women, disagreements, divorces, illegal activities, illegitimate children, and so on.
That clone he couldn't find back then has the potential to shake the entire country, implicating his family, the Drysdale’s, and other parties in hiding. This was the main reason he wanted to get to the bottom of the problem once and for all. He just hoped the phantom would find her and finish her off as soon as possible.