Chapter 721-730
Emily found her way to the cafe as she had asked Arthur’s bodyguards for his whereabouts, but she
didn’t expect to find Sophia with him.
Arthur frowned as he saw her standing before them, while Sophia had already gotten up from her seat.
“Miss Jennings, you can join Young Master Weiss. I shall be going.”
“I’ll see you off.” Emily faked a smile and wrapped her arm around Sophia as they walked out of the
cafe. Sophia was forced to reciprocate the feigned intimacy as she walked beside Emily nervously.
Once they went out of the cafe, Emily’s expression changed into one of detest as she shoved Sophia
forward and warned, “Sophia, stop harassing Artie, or else I’ll make you pay.”
The truth was far from what Emily said. Sophia never nned to cling to Arthur, and it was a mere
coincidence that Arthur and she met at the funeral.
Therefore, she answered calmly, “Don’t worry. I’m not harassing him or anything. Even more, I don’t
n to.”
“I’m not going to trust any of your words. Have you ever wondered how influential his family is? Your
life is a far cry from his!” Emily was staring at Sophia with folded arms; she didn’t even bother to hide
her disdain. “It’s only your wishful thinking for him to fall in love with you! Furthermore, don’t try your
luck. You’ll only suffer.”
Sophia looked into her eyes and replied, “First of all, I won’t categorize people into particr groups
based on their background. Even though you’re born with a silver spoon, you need to respect others.”
“You—” Emily’s words were cut short as she didn’t expect aeback from Sophia.
Sophia continued, “Sorting out the rtionship is a matter which needs to be settled between Mr.
Weiss and me. You’ve no right to meddle in our business.” Her eyes were icy cold as Emily’s superior
attitude irritated her.
“You!” Emily tried, but no words came out either. It was just likest time.
“If you have feelings for Young Master Weiss, you’re free to pursue him. As for the result, it depends on
you. Don’t take it out on me.” As if she didn’t notice Emily’s condition, Sophia continued.
Emily’s cheeks reddened at her words. Is she trying to imply I’ll not seed?
She red at Sophia. “If it wasn’t for your interference, I would have be his girlfriend sooner.”
Sophia chuckled. “You’ve always thought lowly of me. If so, there aren’t many things I can do to catch
his attention, unless he’s a fool to fall for me easily.”
“How dare you call Artie a fool!” Emily was so enraged she raised her hand, about to p Sophia.
At that moment, Arthur stepped out of the cafe and strode toward them. He had been listening to their
conversation for a while and decided to step forward to prevent any further conflict. As he settled into a
stance, he red at Emily. “Emily, stop it.”
When she saw him showing up, the first thought that appeared in Sophia’s mind was to look for an
escape route. I can’t believe he’s right behind us! How long has he been eavesdropping?
As she turned on her heels to make an escape for the elevator, Arthur’s voice echoed behind her. “Stop
right there.”
He was reconsidering his opinion about Sophia. Seeing the other side of her was a surprise to him and
he found it amusing as he walked toward her. “You’re running away after you called me a fool?”
Sophia had no choice but to turn around and face him. As she looked into his deep eyes, she
exined, “I-I didn’t mean to call you a fool.”
“You did!” Seeing an opportunity, Emily joined in.
“Miss Jennings, you don’t understand. I’m saying that Young Master Weiss would be a fool to fall for
me.” At that, she gloated over her wiseeback and asked for Arthur’s opinion. “Young Master
Weiss, you’re not interested in me, right?”
“Of course, I’m not,” he answered between gritted teeth.
Sophia cast a nce at Emily with a blooming victorious smile on her face. “Did you hear him? He
doesn’t like me!”
Emily stared at her speechlessly as she had the feeling that it was a perfunctory act.
Looking straight into Arthur’s eyes, Sophia reminded him, “Young Master Weiss, please rify that
there is nothing between us, or else your pursuer—Miss Jennings—will misunderstand.”
Even though the odd feeling still lingered within Emily, she was deprived of the chance to talk back as
Sophia stepped into the elevator. She turned to Arthur involuntarily and saw him stare at the shut
elevator door with mixed feelings.
“How rude of her!” In the end, Emily could only harrumph a response.
After Sophia left the cafe, she took a taxi to get home. Enjoying the breezy evening wind swaying her
face, she was concurrently searching for an answer in her nk mind.
He agreed that he’s not interested in me. That’s impossible to be a lie, she thought.
At that moment, her cell phone notified her of a new message. She checked her phone to read it and
found a message from Arthur with only two words.
She gaped at the message. Damn! He sent me a message only to scold me!
‘Mr. Weiss. Please remember you’re a decent man,’ she replied to him immediately.
Arthur then sent a reply message. ‘You don’t have any conscience.’
‘You’re right, I don’t. You’ve seen through my disguise and shall stop seeing people like me from now
on.’ Sophia had given up on saving her image.
He asked again, ‘Do you think falling for you is what a fool would do?’
Meanwhile, Emily was gazing at the scenery outside in the car heading back to the vi. Beside her
was Arthur typing messages on his phone. The corners of his lips turned up from time to time to
indicate his good mood, even though his fingers betrayed that he was terrible at replying to text
messages.
“Artie?” When she turned and found him smiling, she asked, “Who are you chatting with?”
“A friend.” His answer was simple.
Emily noticed a hint of amusement in Arthur’s expression as if he was having fun from the interaction,
so she mustered her courage and asked for further information. “Who is your friend?”
“You don’t know them,” he answered as he checked the phone and broke into a wide smile at the
message content.
Sophia’s reply read, ‘I said the wrong thing just now. Please forgive me.’
Sophia was riding in a taxi; the sunset view could no longer catch her attention as she felt nervous
waiting to receive his response. What’s wrong with me? Am I having fun now?
‘I’m home. Gotta go.’ She typed on her phone and sent the message before shoving her cell phone
back into her bag.
However, her determination onlysted for a while. When she heard a message notification, she looked
for her cell phone in the bag and checked the message.
‘It isn’t a bad thing to be likable. At least be honored by it.’
Sophia was taken aback. What does he mean? Does he have feelings for me?
Deciding that it was a wise choice to let the topic end here, she replied with a message. ‘I’m home.’
Arthur stopped sending her any messages, so she paid for the ride and got out of the taxi. As she
walked home while staring at her phone, someone halted her.
“Miss Goodwin, Old Madam Weiss would like to see you.” Sophia raised her head and found the
middle-aged bodyguard from thest time addressing her. She hid her phone behind her involuntarily
when she heard Martha was looking for her.
“Sure.” Sophia nodded and followed him into the car. It was when they eventually arrived at a nearby
cafe that he let her off.
As usual, Martha was waiting for her in a private room. The moment she saw Martha, the guilt washed
over her as she had been spending time with Arthur not long ago.
Sophia greeted her politely, “Old Madam Weiss.”
“Take a seat.” Martha gestured at the sofa.
As she took a seat, Martha asked her without mincing her words. “I heard that you lost our family
heirloom that Artie gifted to you?”
Sophia nodded. “Yes, I lost it. He didn’t give it to me, though. I’m the one who snatched it from his neck
identally and lost itter.”
“Arthur didn’t give it to you as a gift?” Martha asked in surprise.
Sophia exined in detail how she had the ne in the first ce, brought the ne with her to
a foreign country, and lost it on a return trip home. Lastly, she apologized, “Old Madam Weiss, I’m sorry
about what happened. Please don’t me Mr. Weiss for it. He’s trying to retrieve the ne too.”
“He took over your father’spany to force you to return to the country. That’s so him.” After hearing
her exnation, Martha remarked with mixed emotions.
“Indeed. Mr. Weiss now has returned my father’spany and I’ll help him to look for the lost
ne.” Sophia revealed everything to Martha with full honesty.
Martha was well-experienced and perceptive. She saw through the facade of Arthur asking Sophia’s
help to look for the ne and understood his purpose. Truth be told, he was using it as an excuse
to keep Sophia at his side.
“Miss Goodwin, I’ll keep an eye on the secondhand market for the ne. For now, I only need your
help for one thing. I need you to leave Artie.” She was brisk at handling things as a full n was formed
in her mind and she spoke it immediately. “I have an idea. Do as I say.”
“Old Madam Weiss.” Sophia gaped at the elder woman dressed in a refined outfit and luxurious pieces
of jewelry. “What do you want me to do?”
“You’ll need to bring a guy you know to see Artie and tell him in person that you love the guy. If Artie’s
feelings for you don’t waver, then the two of you will get engaged. Besides, I’llpensate for your loss
because I promised to treat you with care.” Martha was hoping Arthur could make a firm decision on his
love life as she knew Sophia wasn’t the best suitor for him.
Sophia stared at the phone on the table with hesitation. Martha’s words hurt Sophia badly as if it stung
her heart. However, she agreed with Martha’s n eventually. “All right. I’ll follow your n.”
“I hope you can put on your best acting because Artie is very observant. Beware not to let him find out
anything.”
“I will,” Sophia answered with a nod meekly as she lowered her eyes.
At that time, she received a message on her phone. She took a quick nce at the message that
appeared on the screen.
‘What are you doing right now?’ The sender stated Arthur’s name.
“That’s all for today. I won’t me you for losing our family heirloom.” Martha waved in dismissal. “It’s
not your fault at all. You can go now.”
Sophia picked up the phone from the table and headed toward the exit. Once she went out, the
bodyguard who had been waiting offered to send her home, but she rejected it nheless.
This time, she was walking to get home. Staring at Arthur’s messages, she had lost the mood to reply
long since the conversation between Martha and her.
Taking a deep breath, she then dialed someone’s number.
The person on the other side of the phone answered with a clear voice. “Hey, girl! Do you already miss
me?”
Sophia saw no point in beating around the bush. “Can I ask you a favor?”
“Sure! What can I help you with?”
“Pretend to be my boyfriend.”
“No problem! I’m the best at doing this kind of thing! Are you having an obstinate pursuer?”
“Don’t ask. I’ll tell you the details tomorrow.”
“All right. I’ll wait for your call.”
After the call ended, Sophia took and let out another deep breath. The man whom she sought help
from earlier was her childhood friend, the son of her father’s friend, and one of her good friends.
The phone then notified her that a new message had been received. Taking a quick nce at it, she
wasn’t surprised to see it was from Arthur again. He asked, ‘Why aren’t you replying?’
Thinking that he was enjoying their interaction since he found exchanging messages interesting, she
didn’t bother to reply. When he didn’t get her response, he decided to call her instead. Soon, her phone
rang.
Sophia took a look at the caller ID and pressed the “mute” button eventually. Sinking back onto the park
bench, she watched the phone vibrate with a heavy heart.
Finally, the ringtone stopped when she left it unattended. But soon, it rang again.
Sophia wasn’t expecting him to keep calling her without knowing to take a break. Is he worrying about
me?
The iing call stopped sharply just as she was pondering and not answering it. This time, Arthur
sent her a message instead. ‘Why are you not answering the phone? What happened to you?’
Before this, she had never been cruel to anyone she had met. Even a new friend wouldn’t receive such
cold treatment from her. However, she had promised Martha earlier to keep her distance from Arthur.
I’m sorry, Arthur.
She was aware that Arthur and she never belonged together. For instance, even though she only
stayed in the atelier for a few days, she could still recognize from the pictures she had gone through
that the jewelry pieces Martha wore were worth more than 10 million per piece.
Sophia could never wish for attention from a noble man like him.
Not to mention, they were in the early stage as Arthur was only having affection for her so far. The
kisses were merely affected by the dopamine and didn’t matter his feelings for her. She couldn’t
reciprocate his feelings if he was looking for a short-term rtionship.
Finally, Arthur stopped sending her any messages.
It seems like he isn’t that interested in me, Sophia thought.
Anastasia woke up early in the morning at 8:00 AM in Elliot’s vi. However, Elliot was nowhere to be
found beside her.
Thinking that he had been grieving recently, she got out of bed without a second thought to look for him
and eventually found him in the kitchen.
He was wearing a gray shirt today with an apron tied around his waist to make breakfast for his family.
Anastasia was moved by the sight. Even though she was still in her pajamas, she walked toward Elliot,
who was stirring the porridge in the pot, and embraced him from behind.
For a moment, neither of them spoke. Even though there was silence hanging between them, he could
feel her unspoken love. He intertwined his fingers with hers as he said, “Go wake Jared up; it’s
breakfast time soon.”
“Okay. I’ll go wake him up,” Anastasia answered, but she was reluctant to move from her spot. She
wanted to enjoy the warmth of his back a little longer.
Elliot turned around and pressed a kiss on her hair. Just when he moved down for her lips, she avoided
him. “I haven’t brushed my teeth.”
“I don’t mind.” At that, he tried to close their distance.
Anastasia ran out of the kitchen with a giggle and headed upstairs. After she had woken up Jared, she
cleaned up herself and returned downstairs.
As she showed up once again in the kitchen, she wrapped her arms around Elliot and tiptoed to give
him a kiss precisely on the lips.
He put an arm around her waist as he reciprocated her kiss. At that moment, the determination to
protect his family was built within him. Even though he was still grieving for Harriet deep down, he
wouldn’t hesitate to show his love for the people around him.
After a hearty breakfast, the three went to a horse ranch nearby. Jared had a pony that belonged to him
there. He was practicing alone on the ranch while his parents were watching him from the cafe. They
had a great time bonding with each other.
Meanwhile, in the Presgrave Hospital, a chief physician had fallen into distress as if his life was at
stake after he received a call. Climbing to the rooftop, he took out a cigarette and smoked it.
At that moment, his phone rang and he answered, “Hello?”
“Have you decided?”
“The old madam has just passed away. I don’t think it’s a wise decision to do it now.”
“I want to see the result before 3:00 PM. Or else, you’ll lose your freedom and stay in jail for years.”
“Don’t! Fine, I’ll do it.”
“Good. I’ll be waiting.” The man on the other side ended the call once he finished his words.
The chief physician lit another cigarette with shaking hands as he finished the previous one. Then, he
took a deep inhale and wiped away the sweat glued to his forehead.
Someone had threatened him with a video featuring him and a married woman. The content of the
video was enough of an evidence for adultery to imprison him.
At that moment, two nurses walked onto the rooftop. They greeted him when they saw him. “Mr.
Campbell, are you okay?”
“Don’t worry about me.” Once again, he wiped the sweat away and put the cigarette out before he left
the rooftop.
On the other hand, Sophia took a day off from Bourgeois this morning. She got into her childhood
friend’s car at around 10:00 AM and headed to Arthur’s vi.
She nned to seize the opportunity to pack up her things in Arthur’s guest room.
Thus, she prayed for him to be at home right now. Then, she sent him a message on the road to
confirm his whereabouts.
‘Mr. Weiss, are you home?’
Arthur soon replied, ‘I am.’
Seeing she was close to the destination, Sophia didn’t bother to reply to him as she turned to the side
and reminded, “James, you’ll do as I sayter, all right?”
“No problem! Leave it to me!” James Lennon smiled confidently. “I’ll definitely break his heart for your
sake.” At that, he brushed his hair to make the best look. He was all groomed up today for a handsome
look.
She only nodded. However, as he drove the car toward the residential area, he began to panic. “Is that
guy wealthy?”
“He’s very wealthy.”
“Is he as handsome as me?”
Sophia turned to him and consoled, “He’s not as good-looking as you.”
“All right.” James chuckled at her while feeling that his confidence was boosted. “Or else, I’d have
nothing topete against a wealthy and more handsome guy.”
At that moment, she received a message from Arthur. ‘Why didn’t you answer my calls or reply to my
messagesst night?’
She typed a reply and sent it. ‘I muted my phone and fell asleep. I’m sorry.’
‘Are youing over to my house?’
‘Yes, I’ming over to pack my things. I’ll be there soon,’ she replied.
At the same time, Arthur took a break from his work in the study room and checked on his messages.
As he read Sophia’s reply, he knitted his brows and wondered, Is she not living here anymore?
Thinking that Sophia would arrive soon, he walked out of the study room and headed downstairs.
Five minutester, the doorbell rang, so Arthur pressed a button to allow the visitor ess. He saw that
Sophia pushed the door to enter with a young man behind her.
The moment Jamesnded his eyes on the man standing in the garden, he became dejected as his
confidence had quickly dissipated.
How dare Sophia lie to me! Everyone can see the guy over there is the best among all! Not only is he
handsome, but he even has a strong aura, good taste in picking outfits, a stunning look, a toned body,
and an elegant temperament. That man haspletely surpassed me in every aspect!
Sophia cleared her throat as she held his hand and led him toward Arthur nervously.
“Good morning, Mr. Weiss. I’m here to pack my things.” She avoided looking into Arthur’s eyes as she
introduced James, “This is my boyfriend, James. He’s here to help me with the packing.”
Arthur squinted his eyes and asked coldly, “Your boyfriend?”
“Nice to meet you. I’m James. Sophia and I are childhood sweethearts.” James reached out for a
handshake.
However, Arthur only gave him a perfunctory nce before turning to Sophia immediately. “You never
told me you’re seeing someone.”
Sophiaughed at the remark. “You never asked.”
“Anyway, I’m going to pack my things.” At that, she held James’ arm intimately as she said, “Let’s go,
dear. I need your help.”
James reciprocated her act as both of them walked into the vi and made their way upstairs.
Arthur was the only one at home now as Emily apanied Martha on a trip, so Sophia seized the
convenient timing to pack her things. She was aware that their absence set her infort.
In the guest room, Sophia took out the suitcase and began packing her clothes. Beside her, James
whispered, “Sophia, are you sure you aren’t going to date a handsome man like him?”
Sophia shushed him to stop talking. Bored, James pulled open a drawer in her closet randomly and
was stunned when he found her lingerie.
“Sophia,e pack these by yourself.”
She was embarrassed by the situation. At this moment, she heard steady footsteps outside the room—
it belonged to none other than Arthur.
At that moment, an idea shed across her mind and she raised her voice. “James, help me to store
the lingerie in the suitcase.”
James stared at her in disbelief as he pointed at himself to confirm her thought.
Seeing Sophia nod without hesitation and gesturing at the door, he understood her intention
immediately.
When he bowed to put her lingeries into the suitcase, he stumbled on a corner of it, resulting in him
pushing Sophia onto the bed involuntarily.
Sophia shrieked at the sudden event. Seeing that they were in close proximity, she shot him a re at
his clumsiness. When she was about to push James away, she noticed someone pushing the door
open.
She wrapped her arms around James’ neck even though he didn’t n to maintain the position any
longer. However, he was forced to lean forward and ended up pressing a kiss onto her forehead
anyway.
At that exact moment, Arthur pushed the door open and found the two of them about to kiss on the
bed.
He narrowed his eyes at the sight and asked in an unamused voice, “What are you doing?”
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“I’m kissing my girlfriend.” James quickly slid into his role. “This is not a crime, is it?”
Sophia feigned shyness as she said, “We’re not kissing here! Wait until we’re home!”
He grinned. “All right, all right. I’ll listen to you for now. I’ve prepared a candlelight dinner for tonight, so
we can enjoy a romantic nightter.”
She could only blush coquettishly at his words. Even though she wouldn’t even dare look at Arthur’s
face, she could feel his eyes glued on her.
Arthur saw everything when James went straight for Sophia’s lingerie in the closet and kept them in the
suitcase.
Atst, Sophia zipped her suitcase and lifted it from the ground. She passed her luggage to James,
who naturally took it from her.
Then, she walked toward Arthur, who was waiting at the door and mustered the courage to look into his
eyes which seemed to have a deep meaning beneath. “Mr. Weiss, I’ve decided to live with my
boyfriend. Thank you for your hospitality.”
Arthur grabbed her wrist without giving her the opportunity to resist. “Come with me for a sec.”
“Hey! Mr. Weiss! Let go of me!” However, he didn’t spare her any time to struggle out of his grip as he
led her toward his study room.
“You! Let go of my girlfriend!” James shouted from behind, but Sophia was already being pulled into the
study room by Arthur and the door shut with a loud thud.
Sophia could only feel Arthur being oppressive before he pinned her against the door. His fresh scent
enveloped her as he leaned forward to question her with a cold tone. “You dare to flirt with me when
you’re already dating someone?”
Raising her head, she saw his stony face and ice-cold eyes.
She insisted, “I’m sorry, b-but I never flirted with you.”
“Never? You didn’t stop me when I kissed you in the hotel that day. Can’t you remember?” If that was
the case, Arthur would help Sophia to recall that day’s events.
Her cheeks flushed as she nudged him. “Don’t do this. My boyfriend’s not far away.”
Arthur pressed her harder on the door. “Does he know we kissed? Does he know you melted in my
embrace like a good girl that day?”
Sophia was short of breath at their proximity. Her face was turning crimson. What does he want?
“I’ll be frank to him. We only kissed, after all. He’ll forgive me.” She turned her head away from him.
“When did you find yourself a boyfriend?” Arthur was confused as he had initiated an investigation on
her. The man who showed up today was not in the findings.
“He returned to the countryst week. He’s really my boyfriend,” Sophia exined promptly to make
him believe her.
“You’ve been sleeping with each other?” His eyes turned cold when he asked as if he was ripping off
his disguise and revealing his cruel inner self.
His expression was a heart-wrenching view for her. However, she had no choice but to lie to him.
Shutting her eyes, and in the most solemn tone she could manage, she said, “We had done everything
we should as a couple two years ago.”
Her statement was even solid with a precise time. Nobody would ever have any more doubt about their
rtionship.
Arthur was dumbfounded by her calm statement. Sophia could sense his disdain as he took a step
back, indicating that she seeded in her n. Martha once told her that he would never be close to
someone who gained his hatred ever again.
“I’m sorry,” she apologized quickly before she walked out of the study room.
Downstairs in the living room, James was admiring the art pieces here. Seeing Sophiaing down,
he asked in concern, “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. Let’s go.” All Sophia wanted to do was run away from here because Arthur’s look was causing
her heart to ache.
Just then, James saw Arthur walking down the stairs. He immediately returned to his role as he held
Sophia close and warned the other man, “Please stay away from my girlfriend from now on. I want you
to keep your distance from her.”
Sophia’s eyes widened at him as she only hoped to leave right now.
However, Arthur sneered. “Say, did she ever tell you that she and I shared a room before? And did she
tell you that we kissed when she was wearing only a bathrobe?”
James turned to look at Sophia in disbelief. He could not believe that she and Arthur had done such a
thing.
Left with no choice, she yed along. “I’m sorry, James. Please forgive me.”
He quickly took hold of her hand. “It’s alright. I know that I’ve made you feel left out when I was abroad,
but I promise that I’ll stay by your side from now on. I forgive you.”
Arthur’s brows furrowed tightly after he failed to infuriate the man.
“Mr. Weiss, stop it. You can’t separate us. We love each other and we’re going to get engaged next
month,” she added solemnly. Since they had taken things this far, she dly used the opportunity to
get under Arthur’s skin.
“Are you serious? No man would ever be unwavered like you when his woman has been intimate with
someone else.” Arthur rebuked James.
“I… If you every a finger on my girlfriend again, I won’t let you off the hook that easily,” warned
James angrily.
“Try me,” Arthur retorted while walking toward Sophia with a sinister smile; his evil intentions, engulfed
by his handsome face, had not seemed to be noticed by her.
“I—I will…” James could discern the chest muscles underneath Arthur’s shirt; he seemed strong and it
was obvious that James stood no chance against him.
At that moment, the man wrapped his muscr arm around Sophia’s waist and propped her chin
before crushing his lips onto hers aggressively; it was a tant showcase of affection and dominance
in front of James.
Her beady eyes widened as she felt his lips on hers, but she could not shake off his arm from her waist.
“Hmm…” she whimpered as she thought she was going mad for she had not expected Arthur to cross
the line with such an innocent facade!
A wide-eyed James witnessed the scene in utter shock. He did not foresee the man to kiss her
forcefully right before his eyes.
“Let go of her!” He huffed in rage. As her close friend, he could not bear the sight of her getting
vited.
Even so, Arthur kissed her as though it was a punishment for her. Sophia’s mind went nk and her
body tensed up while she attempted to shove him away.
When he finally released her, he provoked James. “Wanna fight with me?”
Meanwhile, her breathing became heavier as she covered her rosy lips. Despite her flushing face, she
tried to gather herself before tugging at James. “Let’s go.”
A cold voice resounded menacingly behind them. “Sophia Goodwin, you better break up with him in an
hour.”
Yet, she neither turned her head nor responded to his threat as she believed that he had gone
overboard this time. After getting into the car, James gazed at her in concern. “Are you alright?”
Sophia covered her face and spoke in a quivering voice, “I’m fine.”
“That guy is handsome, but he’s a pervert! How dare he force himself on you like that!”
“Please don’t bring it up anymore… and keep it a secret, will you?” begged Sophia.
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“Of course, I won’t, but it looks like he really likes you,” James imed while starting up the car.
The sudden kiss she shared with Arthur kept guing her mind while the repeated imagery of his
eyshes and gaze reminded her that it was her punishment. The more she thought about it, the
redder her cheeks became.
Lori made a dash to the hotel nearby the airport to take a rest since she had a flight to catch at
10.00PM. Now that she had stolen Elliot’s sperm, she had to be extra careful in order not to give the
game away.
Anastasia was dealing with her work in the vi. After signing the document, a strong sense of
uneasiness crept into her heart. If Elliot’s possession in the hospital remained unfound, there would be
nightmares awaiting her.
It was no joking matter either seeing that she had a perturbing dream previously that felt almost too
realistic. If her son was to have another two half-siblings out of the blue, it was undeniable that the
impact inflicted on him would be big as they were two additional lives to deal with.
Just who on earth will do such a thing? It’s not a coincidence for sure. Someone must be scheming it
for a long time.
Elliot was waiting for the results from the initial investigation at the police station. It was 3.00PM when
he entered the meeting room in which Roy Barlowe, the leader of the investigation team, poured him a
cup of coffee before starting toy out the analysis of the suspects.
“Mr. Presgrave, this is a really important case for us. It has be more serious in light of your status
and wealth.”
Elliot stared at the list of suspects disyed on the screen, which had included their socialwork as
well.
“We believe that it’s not something done out of impulsivity. The thief is very well-informed of your family
and Presgrave Hospital. We’ve evene to a conclusion where pregnancy is the suspect’s
objectives. The suspect wants to bear your child to be one of the future heirs.” Roy gave a detailed
breakdown.
“These six people are the suspects for now. They belong to the upper echelons in the hospital who
have considerable authority to set the n into motion with ease. Is there anyone that appears
suspicious to you, Mr. Presgrave?”
Elliot shook his head lightly. “I rarely take part in the management of the hospital, so I don’t know much
about them.”
His job was only to check the hospital’s ie from the annual reports. As of the management, the
current director was in charge of it.
“Based on the information we have, theirwork is kindaplicated and there’s nothing off about
their bank statement. Since their annual ie is high, they don’t have any problem with money. Of
course, we’re still digging into other aspects.”
Elliot looked at the screen as Roy swiped the pictures one by one. Suddenly, something caught his
attention. “Please zoom in into the third picture.”
Almost immediately, Roy did as he was told. From the corner of the screen, one could see a suspicious
figure walking across the corridor. The person took a few peeks of the surroundings before leaving.
“He’s Shawn Elrod, the director. Hiswork is quiterge. Do you know him, Mr. Presgrave?”
“He’s the assistant director’s cousin. I’ve seen him a few times during meetings. Please show me every
footage and picture you have of him,” requested Elliot as he thought of something.
The other officers took actions and sifted through the pictures and footage to pick out everything that
had caught Shawn in it. Roy took a sip of coffee while looking at the screen before he turned to Elliot in
surprise at the very second.
He wondered if Elliot had served in the military before. Otherwise, how could he sense that something
was off about Shawn at first nce when there were so many other suspects?
At that moment, Shawn’s actions became questionable in the footage. While he was calling for help to
put out the fire, he was evacuating at the same time. He was not genuinely concerned about the fire. In
fact, it was all just a show.
“Mr. Presgrave, you have a great sense of observation. This guy is behaving strangely,” said one of the
officers.
Elliot had spent his days in the army since he was nine till he was sixteen, which exined his keen
observation. After seven years of dominating the business world, he also developed the ability to
identify a person’s true nature.
“Roy, we’ve reviewed his contact history, and he made a call to someone named ‘Liam Presgrave’
while he was in the car.”
The sparkle in Elliot’s eyes turned as cold as a de. Liam? Is Shawn working for him?
“Look into Liam Presgrave,” Roy ordered his men as he turned toward Elliot. “Do you know who this
man is, Mr. Presgrave?”
Elliot clenched his hands into a fist on the table as heprehended what had happened. He nodded.
“I know him. He’s one of the elder members of the Presgrave Family. Two months ago, he offered me
an international coboration, but I declined.”
“We must arrest Shawn Elrod as soon as possible,” Roy ordered his men.
Elliot said, “Roy, I’ll give you a list of names. I would appreciate it if you restricted them from leaving the
country.”
Roy nodded as he said, “Got it. Please send it to me as soon as possible.”
Elliot called Rey over to make a list of names immediately. Each and every single name on the list was
connected to the Presgraves.
As soon as he left the police station, he got into his car, took out his phone, and called Anastasia.
“Hey, How’s everything going? Any clues?” she asked anxiously.
“The investigation has yielded some new information. Liam likely has something to do with it.”
“Liam? Lori’s father?” She was astonished.
“Do not worry about it. We’ll get to the bottom of it.” Elliot tried to soothe her. Since the incident, he
found it distressing to see her suffering from constant nightmares.
“Is it Lori? If her father stole your sperm, does that mean he wants her to get pregnant with your
baby?” Anastasia was so mad that she almost lost her mind.
“”Anastasia, calm down. I won’t let that happen,” Elliot reassured her.
“Arrest her at all costs. We must not allow her to get away from this.” Anastasia clenched her teeth.
She hadpletely underrated Lori.
“I will be home in one hour. Wait for me.” He wanted to go home but had to stay and cooperate with the
police in their investigation.
Finally, a sigh of relief lifted her spirits. “Okay, I’ll be waiting for you.”
The officers, amid an investigation in the hospital, received a call and headed to Shawn’s office. Shawn
happened to be on his way to the bathroom, so he was not in the office. However, he was able to
overhear the conversation that was taking ce between his assistant and the officer as soon as he
turned the corner at the end of the corridor.
“Mr. Elrod is not at his office.”
“When will hee back?”
“I’m not sure.”
“Please notify us as soon as he returns,” the officers said sternly.
Shawn panicked and scurried out to the restroom to avoid further attention. Never in his wildest
imagination did he think the police would approach him. Do they suspect me?
With shaking hands, he reached for his phone to call Liam.
“Hello.”
“I’m done for, Liam. It looks like the police are suspecting me! How’s the situation over there? Is it
sessful?”
“When was that?”
“Just now, the police officers came to my office. Don’t worry. I’m not going to say anything.” Shawn
hung up the phone, deciding that he should leave the hospital.
Apparently, he had nned on taking the 10.00PM flight, but now he knew he had to reschedule it or
miss his chance to escape for good. He called his daughter and insisted that she make the necessary
arrangements.
When Lori got the call, she was anxious because she had not anticipated that they would find out
about it so soon. Right now, all she wanted to do was escape the country as quickly as possible.
Her assistant purchased the earliest flight ticket and apanied her onboard. When the police called
the airport’s management department, Lori had already left the country.
The information was immediately transmitted to the police.
Roy informed Elliot, “We’re one step toote, Mr. Presgrave. We will contact Interpol immediately and
request their aid, but we cannot promise that we will be able to stop her.”
“Please give me her flight information,” Elliot requested.
“Mr. Presgrave.” Roy was hesitating.
“You can proceed with the customary procedure,” responded Elliot. Lori needed to be deported back
to the country so that she could face punishment. Even if the authorities were powerless to stop her, he
had to take action.
How else could he calm down his wife? He would never jeopardize her or put her in danger in any
manner.
Meanwhile, Anastasia, who was in the vi, was surprised by Lori’s actions. Still, it was within her
expectation, considering how ambitious Liam was to get himself involved in the board of directors of
Presgrave Group. It was his endeavor to pave the way to wealth for future generations. Thus, he had
been scheming it after Old Madam Presgraves death. Needless to say, it was the easiest way to be
rich, albeit malicious and spiteful.
Anastasia finally knew why Harriet kept reminding her to see through the ones who held the authority in
the Presgrave Family. It seemed like the old madam herself had thwarted their evil multiple times.
These rats had been coveting the wealth raked in by the Presgrave Group, hence the burden and
responsibilities weighing on Anastasia’s shoulders. She had to keep a tight rein on them, or the
younger generations of the family would suffer too.
Time flew by, and there was Elliot’s car returning to the vi. To get to the bottom of the case, he did not
get a night of good sleep these two days because Anastasia could not sleep well.
Despite his red-rimmed eyes, which became more visible under the illuminating lights, she could see
the determination in those eyes. Seeing him in such a state pained her heart, and she instantly threw
herself into his arms.
“Sweetheart, I’m going to leave the countryter. I’ll be back, so stay with our son and wait for me.”
Elliot’s n was to ruin Lori’s scheme with his own hands to dispose of any possible threat.
Anastasia sighed in his embrace as she knew what he was going to do. “I never expected them to
stoop to this level. How can they do this to us?”
“I won’t let them seed,” he said sternly.
At that moment, his phone rang, and she let him go so he could take the call. “Hello.”
“Mr. Presgrave, we have tracked down the bottle that Liam took. The doctor who operated on Lori
has also been detained, and we will begin interrogation as soon as possible.”
“Okay, thanks. Roy, I’ll be counting on you.”
“Leave it to us. We’ll look into everything and uncover the truth.”
Elliot put down the phone and pulled Anastasia over to sit on the sofa. He said, “The police have
already found it. Now, I’m going to find Lori and watch her with my own eyes until the surgery is
over.”