Chapter 1070

Ralph decided to try. Gritting his teeth, he recalled the password seen in Alexander's office. He moved the dial slowly, fearing he might trigger a trap.

A faint click sounded; the safe unlocked. Overjoyed, he paused before opening it, opting instead to use the piece of wood. As the safe sprang open, a whoosh of cool air accompanied by two arrows thudding into the ground before him. A shiver ran down his spine—that was close!

Ralph’s prediction was correct: Alexander had set further traps. It was typical of him. His gaze fell on a book inside. Elated, he almost shouted aloud with joy.

This was it! Hidden in Alexander's bedroom safe, guarded by booby traps—the secret kickboxing handbook! He'd never imagined his father owned such a priceless item. The fact that his father would ignore his own son and bequeath it to his grandson was unbelievable. They hadn't even informed him.

How could they?

Were it not for Heather, he would never have learned this secret. Muttering about his father, he donned gloves and carefully removed the book. Its dark navy cover looked ancient, bound with string. A cursory glance confirmed his suspicions; the book contained illustrations of unfamiliar fighting stances.

Ralph, having no self-defense training, didn't understand the illustrations. The book contained no text, save a few words at the bottom of the last page: "our family heirloom." No surname indicated which family it belonged to.

Certain this was the book, he wrapped it carefully in cloth, then slipped it into his jacket pocket—a technique gleaned from a television show. The gloves and cloth prevented fingerprints.

Relieved, he left the room with quiet steps, moving faster than before. He closed the safe meticulously, checking for fingerprints and security cameras. Still, Alexander's anger would be pointless after Ralph gave the book to Heather.

He skipped downstairs, whistling a favorite tune. Reaching the sofa, he pulled a ring from his pocket as the butler entered. "Mr. Ralph, did you find it?"

Spinning the ring, Ralph grumbled, "Stop rushing me! Finding such a small piece of jewelry is difficult. I'm doing this for you! Without me, you'd probably face theft charges from my mother!"