Chapter 437 Emberfall City
Carl stood ramrod straight at his desk, office phone pressed to one ear while he mopped cold sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief.
"Absolutely! I understand completely! If anything happens to Mr. Anderson while he's in Silverlight City, I'll resign immediately!"
After hanging up, Carl exhaled deeply. The back of his shirt was soaked with sweat.
He never imagined Noah would have connections to figures important enough to warrant state government attention!
Carl had heard of Noah before and knew his background well enough. The viral Rolls-Royce Guy who'd helped solve police cases and made enemies with the Harris family in Silverlight City.
To the average person, Noah might seem impressive—a social media star with millions of followers. But Carl, as mayor of Silverlight City, considered himself above being impressed by such things. To him, Noah had just been some influencer with a following—a nobody in the grand scheme.
That phone call had changed everything in an instant.
Though he wasn't sure exactly what connection Noah had to the VIP visitor, the caller's tone made it clear that this visitor valued Noah highly.
"Whatever the case, this Noah isn't some ordinary citizen. His safety must be guaranteed at all costs!"
Carl made a mental note as he dialed the number for Silverlight City's SWAT team.
...
It was nearly noon the next day when Noah and Lisa finally left the hotel and returned to Oasis Villa.
As soon as they got home, Lisa's phone rang. She glanced at the screen.
"It's my dad."
"Go ahead and answer," Noah said, sinking into the sofa. After their night together, his back was killing him.
"Lisa, you didn't come home last night. Where were you? Did you divorce that loser Noah?" Daniel's voice demanded the moment she picked up.
"I was with my husband. We're not getting divorced," Lisa replied calmly.
"What? No divorce?" Daniel's voice shot up several notches. "Wasn't Noah taking you to sign divorce papers?"
"No."
"No? Why not? Lisa, didn't you say you wanted a divorce?" Daniel sounded completely baffled. "Listen, that Tyrell guy got fired from his company. He's unemployed now, so I decided he's not son-in-law material anyway. I went to a matchmaking event today and picked out several promising candidates."
"I got all their contact info, and now you're telling me you're not divorcing after all?" Anger crept into his voice.
"Dad, I don't know how to explain this. The bottom line is, I'm not divorcing my husband. We can talk about this in person later."
Lisa ended the call before he could protest further.
"Sometimes my dad can be totally unreasonable, but what can I do? He's my father. I have to cut him some slack," she sighed.
"Don't worry about it, babe. I'll always have your back," Noah reassured her with a gentle smile.
With things back to normal between him and Lisa, Noah's mood had improved dramatically. His thoughts turned to his next move.
'Fox from the Murphy family is dead. I need to take North's ashes to his hometown and give him a proper burial.'
Noah had made this decision the night North died.
"I might need to take a trip tomorrow," he told Lisa. "I won't be able to stay with you."
"A trip? Where to?" Lisa asked, curiosity piqued.
"Dawnshire State."
North's hometown was Emberfall City in Dawnshire State, over 400 miles from Silverlight City.
"Dawnshire? That's so far," Lisa bit her lip, clearly disappointed but understanding. She knew Noah wouldn't travel that distance without good reason, and if he wasn't volunteering details, she wouldn't pry.
"When do you leave?"
"Tomorrow morning," Noah decided. He wanted one more night with Lisa.
"Alright," Lisa nodded. "If you're going to Dawnshire, I might as well head back to Oceanbridge City. I've been in Silverlight for a while now, and work is piling up."
...
Early the next morning at the Silverlight City toll booth, a GMC slowly merged onto the highway.
Inside sat Noah, Ethan, and three men from the Respect Noah Pavilion.
Before leaving for Dawnshire, Noah had instructed Bodhi to handle the dark forces in Silverlight City. Jack would oversee operations in Oceanbridge City.
And so, the five of them—Noah, Ethan, and three Respect Noah members—hit the highway toward Dawnshire State, carrying the ashes of North and Fox.
"North was always so quiet. Just in his twenties—his whole life ahead of him," Ethan reflected as he drove. "I never expected he'd take a bullet for you. That's a true friend."
Noah nodded silently, the image of North lying in a pool of blood flashing through his mind.
"When we reach his hometown, if his family needs help, we'll do whatever we can. We owe North that much," Noah said firmly.
"According to his file, North had a younger brother who dropped out of high school to work because the family was poor. He's got a girlfriend and they're planning to get married," Ethan recalled. "North sent his entire salary home every month. He really loved his brother."
"We transferred a million dollars to the brother's account after North died. He should be doing okay financially—maybe even married by now. They still don't know about North's death."
"We'll see when we get there," Noah said quietly.
...
The drive from Silverlight City to Emberfall City in Dawnshire State took over five hours. They arrived in the mid-afternoon.
North's family home was in a small village under Emberfall City's jurisdiction, nestled in a mountainous area with only muddy dirt roads for access.
By the time they reached Graves Village, it was past five in the evening.
"Finally here," Ethan sighed, parking the car at the village entrance and stretching. He and Noah had taken turns driving, but he was still exhausted.
Noah seemed less affected as he surveyed the village before them.
It was small—just thirty or forty households. Most homes were simple mud structures, with only a few two-story cement buildings.
"So this is where North grew up," Noah said quietly.
"According to his file, this is the place," Ethan confirmed, then noticed something unusual. "Hey Noah, looks like there's some kind of celebration happening. There are a bunch of cars, and confetti all over the ground."
Noah nodded. "Seems that way."
At the village entrance, they saw about a dozen black Passats decorated with ornaments and flowers—the kind used in wedding processions.
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