Chapter 971-980
“Are you taking your clothes off?” Ang could not help voicing out her curiosity.
Richard hummed sexily before asking, “Wanna see?”
“See what?” She could not understand.
“We can make a video call, so you can look at my body.” He offered without any charges.
Her breathing became slightly heavier. “Richard Llyod, cut it out.”
Where did his cold attitude andposure go?
He let out a chuckle. “Okay, I’m going into the bathroom now. I’ll let you see it some other day.”
In actuality, Ang could imagine his body vividly without taking a look at it. It was not like she had
never sneaked a few peaks in the base back then.
“Alright. Sleep early. Good night.” She then terminated the call before sprawling on the bed. Her
stomach churned with mixed feelings as she was feeling sorry toward Annie. Although the engagement
had been called off, she could not get over it just yet.
When the morning came, Ang woke up and picked a stylish yet feminine coat to go to thepany
with Daphne.
Today, Daphne would announce the news of Ang taking over her position in the shareholder
meeting. In hindsight, she reced her usual demeanor with solemnity.
During the meeting, everyone treated her politely while masking their doubts in their gazes. After all,
she was too young in their eyes.
The billion-worthpany was bestowed to a twenty-five-year-old woman; a sheer blunder in a
significant decision-making would incur a massive loss.
“Are you taking your clothes off?” Ang could not help voicing out her curiosity.
Even so, their notions did not go unnoticed by Ang. Despite the pressure, she was full of confidence;
despite her tender age, she had more time to learn and improve.
When the meeting wasing to an end, she took a nce at the time; it was 11:18AM. She looked at
Daphne, who was still speaking, and was already on tenterhooks as she looked forward to the lunch
date with Richard.
“Okay. Ang, please give us a word or two.” Daphne cast her gaze onto Ang.
She rose to her feet and shed a smile at the shareholders who were sitting along the long table. “I’m
very pleased to be here and it is my honor to be able to take over my mother’s position. For the
following days, I hope you can believe in me, support me, and acknowledge me. Thank you.”
Daphne stared at her daughter with contentment. She was aware of the doubtful attitude of many
shareholders toward Ang’s takeover, but she would definitely help her from behind the scenes in
order to consolidate Ang’s position.
“That marks the end of today’s meeting. You may disperse.”
Ang let out a silent sigh of relief. When she rose from her seat, Daphne called her, “Ang, let’s
have lunch together somewhere else.”
“But, I have ns with my friend.”
“Nevermind, then.” Daphne nodded approvingly, for her daughter was expanding her social circles.
Ang exited the entrance to see a ck SUV parked at the opposite street. Akin to a belligerent wild
beast, the huge and ck vehicle was as formidable as its owner.
She alternated her gaze from left to right before approaching the passenger seat gingerly to enter the
car.
The man, who was on the driver seat, watched every single one of her expressions and amusement
was evident in his eyes. Her course of actions appeared adorable to him.
After hopping onto the passenger seat, Ang breathed a sigh of relief before turning to face the man
who was dded in a ck sweater. It seemed like he loved this kind of ck sweater that fit his body
perfectly. It disyed his handsome and neat image of a tough guy. Ang was crazy over his fashion
sense as well.
“Did I keep you waiting?” She brushed her hair to one side and smiled at him.
“I arrived not long ago.” Richard reached out his hand to the back seat to grab a bouquet of flowers for
her. “This is for you.”
It was then she was stunned for a moment. I didn’t know this side of him. They’re roses! I thought the
word ‘romantic’ was never in his vocabry!
With a sweet expression, she epted the lovely flowers as it lightened her mood.
“Did you pick them yourself?” She sniffed the flowers while asking him.
“Hmm, I picked them one by one and asked the staff to arrange them into a bouquet.”
The image of Richard selecting the flowers intently in the florist’s amused Ang and rendered the
bouquet in her hand more precious.
“Where are we going?” she asked.
“You’ll find out once we arrive there.” He left her hanging. There was a smile on his ever rigid
countenance, which indicated how happy he was at the moment.
Therefore, she did not sound him out and decided to just follow him. Regardless of where they were
heading to, she would be happy as long as he was by her side.
It was not until they entered a top-notch restaurant did she realize that Richard had reserved a ce at
the most expensive restaurant in the city.
It pained her at the thought that he was going to spend a lot of money on this meal. After staying
seated, she whispered, “You don’t have to buy me a meal at such a pricey ce. I don’t mind any other
ces.”
He propped his chin with his hands as he smiled at her. “Are you worried that I can’t pay for it?”
“I just don’t want you to splurge your money on me.”
“But I just wanna give you the best.” His scorching gaze fixated on her.
Feeling the honey-sweet happiness springing up in her chest, Ang pursed her lips before showing
her lovely smile. She often felt giddy by the man’s unreserved affection.
Then, she noticed the other table that was filled with four girls, who seemed to be from rich families.
They kept peeping at Richard with the two of themughing intentionally in order to draw his attention.
“Hmm, I picked them one by one and asked the staff to arrange them into a bouquet.”
Ang was very familiar with their little ploys. She could even count how many times they peeked at
the man before her.
Richard was indeed a popr person with admirers swooning over him, which made her wonder, Was
he really single before he met me?
She honestly felt that he was quite an easy target since it took her less than two months to win his
heart.
Plus, the advances Ang made were no-brainer; would it not take a shorter time for him to be taken if
there was a better yer?
She left the table to go to the restroom and by the time she returned to her seat, there was a beautiful
girl standing next to their table, flirting with Richard.
Ang’s eyes narrowed dangerously. It was unpleasant to have someone else coveting her
possessions.
“Miss, please do not disturb us. My boyfriend and I are trying to enjoy our meal here.” She stared at the
girl with a warning gaze and crossed arms.
Unperturbed, the girl smiled and returned to her seat. Obviously, Ang was just a small fry to her.
Ang sat down, but her eyes zeroed in on that girl, who reciprocated with a provoking expression.
Meanwhile, Richard was pleased to see her being jealous, yet his heart ached as well. The girl
approached him to offer a drink, but before he could make any response, Ang was back.
The girl at the next table, who was crossing swords with Ang in mute, realized that he was looking at
her. Instantly, she made eyes at him to seduce him while endeavoring to piss Ang off.
However, at that moment, he turned his head sideways and shot res at her, which were cold and
sharp like the excalibur.
Her heart missed a beat in fear, for never once had she felt the gaze of a wild beast before. It was
perilous yet tantalizing.
“Let’s go.” She could not sit still due to the surging fear and ultimately pulled her friends to leave the
ce.
While Ang was disappointed by how they left without finishing their food, Richard piped up, “Let’s
not mind the strangers. We should dig in.”
Sharing the same notion, she felt that it was meaningless to waste time. Next, her gazended upon
the steak on his te, which seemed tastier than hers. She pointed at it. “I wanna have a bite of yours.”
He proffered her a small piece of meat to her mouth and she dly chewed it. “Hmm. It is tastier than
mine.”
“I’ll order another one for you,” he suggested.
“No. I want to have yours.” She was actually full, but she acted as though she wanted to snatch his
food.
Ang was suddenly in the mood to poke fun at Richard again.
After finishing lunch, she checked on the time and it was 2.30PM. It was time for her to return to the
company since there will be a meeting with a department that required her attendance.
As such, he drove her to the entrance of thepany. Holding onto the bouquet of flowers, she
suddenly hesitated. Should I bring it to the office? If I bring it along, Mom will know that I have a
pursuer, though. If I don’t, I will have to throw it away, but he picked the flowers for me. I can’t do that.
After contemting for a while, she hugged the flowers and alighted from the car before waving her
hand at him. “Bye-bye.”
Richard watched her off despite the heavy heart. It was not until she disappeared into a corner of the
lobby that he started the car and left.
However, Daphne, who was about to get out of the car nearby, witnessed the whole scene; she saw
her daughter alighted from a mysterious, huge SUV with a bouquet in her hands. The person in the car
seemed to be reluctant to let Ang go as he watched her leave.
Daphne was surprised, for she had not known that Ang started a new rtionship again.
Who is he? What is his family background? Is he a greedy fraudster like Dexter?
She alighted from the car anxiously and made a dash to the office. At this moment, Ang already hid
the flowers behind the curtains. Since her mother was not around, she decided to keep it a secret for
as long as she could.
Ang was suddenly in the mood to poke fun at Richard again.
Even so, while she was going to peruse some documents on the couch, she noticed Daphne’s return
and rose to her feet. “Mom, you’re back.”
Daphne’s stern gaze fixated upon Ang as she interrogated, “Ang, I saw a man sending you back.
Tell me. Are you dating someone?”
Ang’s heart squeezed as she did not expect Daphne to see her getting out of Richard’s car.
“You were holding a bouquet of flowers too. Where did you hide it? Are you going to keep me in the
dark?” Ang’s previous rtionship had consigned Daphne into distress. Now, her anxiety was
arising because she was worried that her precious daughter would encounter another deceiving, bad
guy.
“Mom, don’t worry about it. He’s not a liar,” Angforted.
“Then, what is his name and what is his job? Is he from a decent family? Since when did you start
dating him?” Daphne bombarded Ang with a flow of questions.
Ang bit her lips and pleaded, “Mom, can you leave the questionster? I’ll introduce him to you
when the time is right.”
“Ang, once is enough. I must know everything about that man. You cannot hide anything from me,”
imed Daphne as she sat on the couch with a grim face.
“Mom… He’s—”
“Where is he from?”
“He lives in the same city,” Ang answered hastily.
“What does his family do?”
“His family is richer than us.” She was feeling guilty.
Daphne was stunned at that. “Really? Tell me. Which family is he from? How old is he? And what is his
name?”
Daphne thought to herself, Once I got his name, I must look into his background. Ang is still young
and clueless about so many things. I need to pry further into the man’s family history too. It’s Ang’s
future. I mustn’t be sloppy and careless about it.
However, Ang merely stared at her mother in silence.
“Fine, you’re not saying anything, are you? I took a photo of his number te and I’m going to call your
father to look into it. With his capability, I don’t believe that he won’t be able to find out who that guy is,”
said Daphne while reaching out her hands to look for her phone.
“Mom, don’t! I’ll tell you.” Ang stopped her immediately.
“So, what is his name and what does he do for a living?” questioned Daphne forcefully.
Ang took a deep breath and lowered her head. With eyes closed, she revealed the name in a loud
voice. “Richard Lloyd. He’s Richard Lloyd.”
Thud!
The phone in Daphne’s hand slipped through her fingers and dropped onto the ground. Her expression
turned into a surprised and baffled one.
She had no idea that her daughter’s date would be… Richard Lloyd.
The Richard who had just called off the engagement with Annie?!
It took a few seconds before Daphne regained herposure. As she looked at her daughter’s guilty
and slightly flustered eyes, she let out a sigh while clearly agitated.
Ang rushed over to her mother and held her arm. “Go ahead andsh out on me all you want! Just
promise me that you won’t get worked up and hurt yourself, okay?”
To be fair, Daphne was not upset with her daughter, but things were just too absurd to take in at the
moment. Richard, who just broke up with Annie, is dating my daughter? When did this happen? Why
did Ang keep this information hidden from us?
She stared at Ang and questioned, “Tell me all about it. When did it all start?”
Not wanting to keep her mother in the dark for much longer, Ang revealed her active pursuit of
Richard back in the base and exined that she had no idea he was Annie’s fiancé at that time.
To her surprise, Daphne had not expected her daughter to take the initiative in pursuing a man.
ording to the timeline, it was factually correct that her daughter was unaware of Annie being
Richard’s ex-fiancé since Ang was shielded and had allmunications cut off at the time.
Therefore, it was natural of her to develop feelings for him in the base.
“What should I say to your uncle and aunt? Your aunt is still upset about the canceled engagement!
You have no idea how much she adores Richard, her ideal son-inw. I can’t believe he’ll be my son-
inw instead!” Daphne expressed her concern. She had no idea that her daughter’s date would be…
Richard Lloyd.
“Pfft!” Ang burst intoughter. In exchange, Daphne shot her a re and sneered, “Oh, you’re
laughing, huh? How about you suggest ways for the elders to get out of this awkward situation?”
At this point, Daphne suddenly remembered that she had purposefully brought up Richard’s work and
family issues at the previous dinner to persuade her sister-inw to open up. Now, it was a total p in
the face.
“I apologize, Mom. That was not my intention,” Ang expressed solemnly.
“Is Richard genuinely fond of you?” Daphne was curious.
Ang’s lovely face turned bright red. “He is, I guess?” Her shyness had overshadowed her confidence
in this case.
She had no idea how much Richard liked her; all she knew was that he did not agree to the breakup.
“Alright! We’ll exin it to your uncle and aunt once you’ve told Annie about it and received her
approval.” On the contrary, Daphne was joyful after the shocking revtion moments ago. Afterall, it
was a blessing to marry into the Lloyd Family!
Not only did Richard possess dependability and strength, he was also an exceptional appearance and
physique. More importantly, Ang would always have his full support in the future.
Although Ang never dared to confront Annie ande clean about her situation, she had reached a
point where there was no other choice.
“Okay. I’ll invite Annie out for dinner tonight to talk about it; perhaps even seek her forgiveness if I
could.” She nodded, agreeing with her mother’s words.
Satisfied, Daphne bobbed her head before looking around the office and inquired, “Didn’t you just bring
a bouquet up here? What did you do with it?”
Out of embarrassment, Ang stood up and reached behind the curtains for the bouquet of flowers.
On the other hand, Daphne could not help but sigh inwardly; she waspletely satisfied with her
daughter’s boyfriend this time.
It was, however, a minor annoyance as the situation had to be handled correctly to avoid tension with
Annie’s family.
Exiting the room, Daphne made a phone call to her husband, Gilbert.
As soon as Gilbert picked up the phone, he was greeted with a question.
“Gilbert, Ang now has a boyfriend. Can you guess who?”
Stumped, he could only toss a few gusses in his head before he asked, “Who is it?! There’s no way I
could have guessed. Now, tell me.”
“It’s Richard,” Daphne answered right away.
Gilbert, who was on the other end of the phone, was equally astounded. “Why is Ang in a
rtionship with Richard? What exactly is going on? Did they just start dating?”
“No. They met at the base and fell in love since then. I would have been kept in the dark had I not seen
my daughter on a date with him back at the office today! She was afraid of being chastised, so she
never told us about it.”
“Annie may not be able to enjoy that life, but I can’t believe our Ang can!”
“I know, right? I just hope their side will understand.”
“Let’s all meet up and talk sometime!”
“Okay, but we’ll have to wait till Ang speaks with Annie tonight! We can go back to Dad’s for dinner
and discuss it tomorrow.”
Lying dazedly on the couch, Ang could not believe her mother had discovered everything without
any prior ‘rehearsal’. All that was left to do now was to be honest with Annie.
“President Meyers, someone just sent you a dinner invitation,” Daphne’s assistant said as she
prepared to leave the office.
“What kind of dinner invitation?” Daphne was surprised to see the assistant hand over an invitation
card box withvish packaging.
For a few seconds, she was stunned as she looked at the words printed on it. It was an invitation to a
charity dinner with a royal theme. This is no ordinary dinner invitation.
“Ang, are you familiar with the person who sent this invitation card?” As she brought the card into
the office, she inquired of her daughter.
Taken aback, Ang took the invitation card from Daphne’s hand. She then ripped open the girdle,
revealing a handwritten note inside an enveloped card.
“Dear Miss Meyers, The Golden Peony Charity Dinner cordially invites you to join us for our annual
dinner celebration. We eagerly await your arrival and thank you for taking the time to meet with us.”
The simple invitation was signed by a person named Scarlet Husson. “Annie may not be able to enjoy
that life, but I can’t believe our Ang can!”
“Mom, this is the name of Richard’s mother.” Ang gasped with one hand covering her mouth.
Daphne noticed it as well and could not help but ask, “Have you met his mother?”
“I’ve never seen her,” Ang replied while shaking her head.
“That’s probably because she knows you’re Richard’s girlfriend and specifically invited you to this
dinner.”
Has Richard told his mother about me? Why else am I invited?
Daphne looked intently at her daughter as a sense of worry surged within her. She hoped that Ang’s
future mother-inw would adore her and generously ept her into the Lloyd Family.
“Ang, show your best self at this dinner party. It’s possible that this is a test from your future mother-
inw.”
To that, Ang could not help but clench her fists and nod, “I know, Mom.”
She then dialed Richard’s phone number as she left the reception area.
“Hello.”
“Did you bring up our rtionship with your mother?” she inquired, clearly intrigued.
“What’s the matter?”
“I just received a dinner invitation from your mother and I’m perplexed.”
“My mother appears to be very eager to meet her future daughter-inw.” Richard, on the other end of
the phone, was clearly unsurprised because he had told his mother at the base that he would bring his
girlfriend home.
Ang reluctantly expressed her concern to him, “I had just gotten out of your car when my mother
saw me carrying a bouquet of flowers! When she asked about our rtionship, I told her everything.
Now, I’ll have to spill all the beans to everyone in my family.”
“I’ll do it,” he uttered quietly as if he was willing to withstand all me and criticism by himself.
However, she tly refused. “You are not allowed to speak. I was the one who got it all started. I owe
my family an apology.”
“I don’t want you to get hurt.”
“They are my family. They’ll never hurt me and I only hope to receive their blessings. Don’t worry, I’m
going to be fine,” promised Ang.
Richard wanted to protect her from being hurt and criticized, but she had the same thoughts—no
matter how serious the mistake was, she would take on all of it and never involve him.
It was the evening and Ang had invited Annie out to dinner. Coincidentally, Annie was also getting
ready for a trip and she dly agreed to apany her.
At around 5.00PM, Ang drove to pick up Annie, who emerged in a casual outfit as she opened the
door of the passenger seat and smiled. “Ang, my luggage is all packed. I’ve already booked a flight
and I will be leaving in two days.”
“Are you traveling by yourself?”
“No, I invited a few of my ssmates to join me. I’ll have manypanions there!”
Nodding, Ang then drove to a well-known western restaurant. She did not want to spoil Annie’s
dinner appetite, so she refrained from saying anything before their meal.
After dinner, she suggested a walk in a nearby park and the two went there. Despite the fact that Annie
was usually a lighthearted character, she could tell Ang was full of thoughts.
“Ang, are you having any troubles? Why do you look so down this entire evening?”
Atst, Ang led Annie to a bench and raised her head before saying, “Annie, I have something to tell
you. What I am about to say may possibly hurt you, and you can me or shout at me all you want
after hearing it, but you must remain calm and rational.”
Blinking in confusion, Annie could not imagine any scenario where a cousin like Ang, who had loved
her since they were a child, would ever hurt her.
“Ang, you’re confusing me. What could you possibly do to hurt me?”
“Listen to me first.” Of course, Ang did not want to hurt Annie, but the damage had been done and
she had no choice but toe clean.
“Just spill it! Whatever the case may be, I will forgive you.” Annie was ready to listen. “Are you traveling
by yourself?”
“No, I invited a few of my ssmates to join me. I’ll have manypanions there!”
“Remember the night I got home and you cheerfully called to tell me that Grandpa had arranged for you
to get married? I was happy for you, but you didn’t tell me the name of your fiancé when we spoke on
the phone. Do you remember that?”
“Of course!”
“I was kidnapped the next day. My father hired a bodyguard to keep me safe. This bodyguard is both
powerful and intimidating. He took me to a safe location that night to protect me, but he took away my
phone and disconnected me from any external contacts.”
“I know it’s Richard,” Annie stated unequivocally.
“Yes, that’s him.”
“That’s the same night we got engaged. You know, I tried to text and call you, but your phone was out
of service the entire night. I guess that exins why now.”
“Hence, when I was sent to the base for protection, I couldn’t contact my family and I couldn’t contact
you, so I had no idea who your fiancé was from the very start. As a result, I had no idea that the person
who had been watching over me for over twenty hours was your fiancé.”
“Yes. I was horrified when I heard my parents say that the world was hunting you down.” All of these
events were fresh in Annie’s mind. “But I don’t see how any of this is hurting me! Why are you taking it
so seriously, Ang? You’re terrifying me.” She considered Ang’s words and concluded that they
were unharmful.
“There’s one more thing. I told you that the base’s conditions are not that great. The bathhouse is
shared and my room barely has any ce to shower other than a toilet. I was surrounded by four walls
and a window. As a result, I had to take a shower in Richard’s room. Furthermore, he is always at the
base and I am with him at all hours of the day and night. We even shared three meals a day.”
“And then what?” Annie’s eyes blinked.
“Then… After Dexter cheated on me, I was gloomy and I… I fell in love with Richard.” Ang sighed.
With her eyes widened in surprise, Annie questioned, “Ang, do you like Richard as well?”
In response, Ang immediately apologized as she looked at Annie in panic, “I’m sorry, Annie. I really
didn’t mean to. I wouldn’t dare to have feelings for him if I knew he was your fiancé. I’m so sorry…
Please forgive me.” At this point, Ang was too ashamed to look Annie in the eyes.
Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.
However, what resounded in the air was Annie’s fatal question. “Ang, does he like you too?”
Overwhelmed by guilt, Ang lowered her head and nodded lightly.
On the other hand, Annie was stunned and shocked for a few seconds. Thest person she would
expect was the woman Richard liked to be her very own cousin! This was an unexpected urrence
that rendered her speechless.
Suddenly, they could feel the atmosphere tensing up as cold filled the air.
Since Ang was ducking her head all this time to avoid looking at Annie, she had assumed Annie was
furious with her at this point. “Annie, if you can’t ept that… I will break up with him,” she continued
while raising her head and inhaling a deep breath.
However, what shed across Annie’s face was a smile as she reached out to embrace her cousin.
“Ang, don’t feel sorry for me; I’m overjoyed that Richard has be my cousin-inw.”
Frozen upon her words, Ang could not help but clutch onto Annie’s shoulders as she looked straight
into her eyes. “Annie, what did you just say?”
“Do you know, Ang? I actually liked Richard solely because of his appearance! I’ve always been
after good-looking dudes, as you know. Sure, he’s attractive, but I’m not sure why I feel this constant
sense of pressure whenever I am around him; almost suffocating, I should say. To be honest, I don’t
have the guts to like him; in fact, I’m even scared of him,” Annie exined as she sighed.
“Is that true?” Ang was surprised. Overwhelmed by guilt, Ang lowered her head and nodded
lightly.
“Yeah! After some thoughts, I realized that he’s not for me, but he sure is for you! Now, get together!
You should not be embarrassed just because I was engaged to him. Grandpa will be thrilled to have
the Lloyds as his inws!” Annie eximed, her eyes wide with excitement.
Though her words had perplexed Ang, they also relieved her greatly. “Annie, thank you so much for
understanding. I’m truly sorry,” said Ang as she reached out to hug Annie again.
“Ang, be brave and follow your heart! I am so thankful to have such an amazing brother-inw!”
Annie felt embarrassed when she patted Ang on the back and discovered she was in tears.
Ang’s eyes welled up and she pursed her lips, reaching out to wipe the corners of her eyes. The two
of them then exchanged smiles.
“Are you worried about what my parents have to say? Rx and leave it up to me. I’ll deal with them.”
“How do you n to do that?” asked the curious Ang.
“There is nothing they care more about than my happiness. Do you think they’ll be happy if I bring a
new boyfriend home tomorrow and tell them he’s my crush?”
This time, Ang could not help but tear up again when she saw Annie trying so hard to help her.
The two talked all the way back to the car and Ang drove Annie home. Indeed, Annie was not a
least bit upset with her cousin as she sincerely wished that both Richard and Ang would end up
together soon.
In fact, Annie had been feeling a little lost after her engagement as she believed that she was inferior to
others in some ways. However, she now knew that the girl she envied was Ang and she was nothing
but convinced.
Furthermore, Richard was unsuitable for her because he was cold and harsh; she preferred a man with
a warmer personality.
As soon as Annie entered the door, she fished out her phone, pretending to be on a call with someone.
“Hey! I’m home. Please drive safely! Thank you for tonight’s treat,” she spoke sweetly.
This immediately drew Jennifer’s attention, who was watching TV in the living room. Who is Annie
talking with on the phone?
“I’m also happy to be with you! Hmm, I love you.” Annie finished her sentence softly as if she was afraid
of being eavesdropped.
Just as she nned, Jennifer could clearly hear her voice in the quiet hall. When Annie entered the
living room, she was deliberately startled and covered her phone in shock. “Mom, why haven’t you
returned to your room?”
Jennifer waspelled to ask, “Who were you on the phone with?”
“I… It’s just a friend!” Annie gave a shy smile.
“What friend? Is it a man or a woman?” Jennifer persisted in her inquiry.
With a straight face, Annie had no choice but to answer, “Mom, it’s a male friend that I’ve had a crush
on for two years.”
Jennifer was surprised. Is it true that Annie has had a two-year crush on someone? How is this the first
time I’m hearing about it?
“Mom, actually, I’m not satisfied with the engagement Grandpa arranged for me. Plus, Richard is not
my type. Breaking off the engagement has honestly relieved me so much.” She presented a pleased
expression on her face as she dered.
Surprised, Jennifer could only stare at her daughter as Annie continued slyly, “Mom, let me tell you a
secret, but you can’t lecture me!”
“What is the secret?”
“On the day Richard called off our engagement, I allowed him to pursue Ang. I reflected that just
because I don’t fancy such a great man doesn’t mean that some other women can’t! Guess what
happened? I didn’t expect Richard to fall in love with Ang at first sight, let alone pursue her!”
“Exactly what did you say? Richard is pursuing Ang now?” Jennifer was stunned; she could not
believe her daughter had done such a ‘generous’ thing.
“Isn’t it wonderful, Mom? Richardes from an affluent family. Once he bes a member of our
family, we will be able to seek future assistance from the Lloyds!” Annie eximed while blinking.
“This child! Daphne just mentioned the other day that Richard is not husband material and you even
matched him up with Ang! Aren’t you afraid that Daphne will be unhappy?” Jennifer was worried that
his older brother and sister-inw would me her daughter for her rash behavior.
With a straight face, Annie had no choice but to answer, “Mom, it’s a male friend that I’ve had a crush
on for two years.”
“Mom, the ‘problem’ is that Ang has feelings for Richard as well. Even if Uncle Gilbert and Aunt
Daphne disagree, there is nothing you can do about it. Furthermore, I believe they will adore Richard
since he is a charming one!”
“I certainly hope so.” Jennifer breathed a sigh of relief and looked at her daughter guiltily.
The reason for the nned engagement in the first ce was because they were trying to marry Annie
off into a powerful and influential family like the Lloyds. As such, they did not ask for her opinion before
making such a life-altering decision. Only now had Jennifer discovered that her daughter had a crush
on someone else.
Seeing that there was no sign of fury on her mother’s face, Annie concluded the issue had been
resolved.
“If there’s nothing else, I’m heading back to my room!”
“Wait a minute, you have yet to tell me anything about your crush!” Jennifer eximed, bringing Annie
to a halt.
“Aw, Mom, hold your horses. When we head to Grandpa’s for dinner tomorrow, I’ll invite him over. You’ll
be able to see him then.” She went upstairs after she finished speaking.
As soon as she returned to her room, she retrieved her phone and dialed Ang, telling her the story
she had just made up. Ang was utterly grateful to Annie; not only was she not mad at her, she even
did her a big favor.
“I appreciate it so much, Annie.”
“It’s all right. I’m looking forward to your wedding. I’ll be your maid of honor.”
“It’s up in the air!” Ang chuckled.
“Then, go for it! Tackle Richard as soon as possible, marry him, and give birth to a little great-grandson
for his grandfather.” Annie chortled.
Ang’s face turned bright red at this point as she eximed, “You’re lightyears ahead of us.”
“Ang, please inform your parents so that I don’t blow my cover. I’ve talked about it with my mother.”
“All right, I’ll tell my parents.”
Annie hung up the phone and went through her social media ounts, deciding which male friend
would be best suited to be her fake boyfriend, whom she would bring home to show her parents.
Elton Hemmings. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw the name. Nervous, she summoned the
courage to dial his number.
“Hello, Annie.” On the other end of the line, there was a distinct male voice.
“What have you been up to, Elton? I need a favor from you.”
“What is it?”
“I need you to pretend to be my boyfriend and go to my grandpa’s house tomorrow,” she stated
unequivocally.
There was a brief silence and Elton was clearly stunned for a few seconds before responding, “Okay!”
“Really?” Annie could not hide her joy.
“Yes, really. When have I ever lied to you?”
“That’s a deal, then! Let’s meet tomorrow at noon and I’ll talk to you about it.”
“Sure.”
Annie sighed and lowered her head to look through some photos before eventually pausing on one; it
was a group photo of them during a hike and a young, attractive boy was standing next to her. Elton
was her childhood friend whom she used to have a crush on. However, she never revealed her feelings
to him after learning that he was pursued by another girl at that time. Not wanting to create any hard
feelings, she decided to leave their circle of friends.
Nheless, she recently spoke with her friends and discovered that Elton turned down the girl’s eager
pursuit and enrolled in a foreign business school for further studies. The point being, he was currently
single.
When Annie heard the news, she could only wish him happiness because she was engaged at the
time. Now, she was filled with hope once again.
At Meyers Residence, Ang sat on the couch and ryed the messages from Annie to Gilbert and
Daphne. Despite the fact that her parents thought it was unnecessary for them to chime in with the act,
they naturally agreed to cooperate, given Annie’s willingness to put on a y.
Ang went upstairs after their discussion while Gilbert, on the other hand, was cheerful. “I had no
idea our daughter would be the Lloyds’ chosen daughter-inw!” he eximed to his wife.
“It’s okay to be happy, but don’t spread the word,” Daphne advised. Honestly, she was equally pleased
with Richard as her son-inw.
“That’s a deal, then! Let’s meet tomorrow at noon and I’ll talk to you about it.”
The first time she saw him, she had secretly intended to make him her son-inw, but she never
imagined that her wish woulde true.
As soon as Ang returned to her room, her phone rang. She dashed over, expecting Richard, but the
caller ID disyed an unknown number. “Hello. Who is this?” She frowned as she answered the call.
“Hello, Ang. It’s me, Dexter. I’d like to meet you.” The man’s voice could be heard from the other
end.
His voice rendered her enraged as she questioned, “How dare you call me?”
“You can’t be this way, Ang. You owe me so much after all I’ve done for you over the years!” Dexter
seemed to be attempting to ckmail her.
“What exactly do you want?” Ang sneered, her lovely eyes cold.
“How are things going? I heard you took over your mother’s business, Ang. You are now a president
with a seven-billion-dor worth. Let’s put it this way! I’d like five million dors topensate for
my emotionalmitment to you over the years; otherwise—”
“Otherwise?” She snorted.
“Otherwise, I’ll spread your photos online. You have no idea how many photos I have of you in your
pajamas. All it needs is a little editing and with your beauty, I’m sure the photos will sell for a lot of
money on those sites,” he threatened.
“Don’t even think about it.” Ang’s body trembled as she growled.
“I demand a precise sum of five million. Otherwise, I will do what I said since I have nothing to lose
anyway. Ang, I really regret not having fun with you when we were abroad. I wouldn’t have cared so
much back then had I known you’d be so ruthless.”
At that moment, Ang’s face turned pale from rage. She was thankful that the son of a b*tch did not
touch her; otherwise, she would have ripped his heart out.
“Ang, I want the money by 3.00PM tomorrow. Or else… Hehe… Don’t me me for what’s about to
come.”
Without any hesitation, she hung up on him. Subsequently, she dialed the number again, but this time it
was recording.
“Why did you hang up on me?” Dexter wondered with suspicion.
“Five million is what you want, am I right?” she stated unequivocally the amount he desired.
“Five million is nothing to you, so of course, you have it. Your family does notck a mere five million. It
must be transferred to my ount by tomorrow 3.00PM,” he reminded, clearly letting down his guard.
“How can I believe that you’d delete my photos after I sent you the money?” questioned Ang.
“You just have to believe me, then. I will delete your photos as soon as I receive payment,” Dexter
ensured.
“I don’t believe you.”
“Well, I don’t think you have the choice. I have the photos in my hands now and I’ve already edited
some of them. Ang, your figure must be more perfect than these models’. Do you want me to send
you a few for you to look at?”
“You…” Ang clenched her fists tight.
“Prepare your funds! Otherwise, I’ll be merciless.” With that, Dexter then hung up the phone. He soon
sent a few pixted photos to her, but they were way too extreme. As she opened them, her face
turned bright red with rage.
Despite the fact that the photo was photoshopped, Ang felt physical difort nheless. She
tried to rx by shutting her eyes. This dirtbag needs to be jailed as soon as possible. Who knows how
many other girls he duped??
Ang debated telling Richard, but if he knew Dexter had threatened her, Richard would undoubtedly
track him down and beat him to death. Forget it, I just want Dexter to be locked up.
That’s where he should stay. He came to me with full-on threats and evidence. So, I’m going to y
along with him onest time!
At that moment, her phone rang again and her heartstrings tightened, but upon seeing the name on the
screen, she heaved a sigh of relief before answering, “Hello!”
“Are you still up?” Like the sound of nature, Richard’s deep and maic voice washed away Dexter’s
nderous words earlier.
“Yeah! I’m not asleep yet. Oh, I spoke with Annie.”
“Are you okay?” he inquired with his tense and worried voice.
“I’m perfectly fine. Annie not only blessed us, but she also helped us tell a good lie.” Following that, she
told Richard what Annie had said and he was so thankful to Annie as well; thest thing he wanted was
to see Ang hurt.
“You…” Ang clenched her fists tight.
“Prepare your funds! Otherwise, I’ll be merciless.” With that, Dexter then hung up the phone. He soon
sent a few pixted photos to her, but they were way too extreme. As she opened them, her face
turned bright red with rage.
After their time in the base where she was keeping her distance from him, he already had a taste of
how awful it was to stay away from her. Annie, on the other hand, was a good girl, so he understood
why Ang avoided him at the time.
She did not want to cause Annie any harm as well.
“Are you free tomorrow? I need you toe along with me for something.” In spite of what happened
earlier, she still wished to be apanied by him and save her parents some worry.
With Richard around, she would feel more at ease.
“Sure. What is it?”
“I’ll keep it a secret for the time being, but do pick me up at noon tomorrow!”
Ang remained silent out of fear of jeopardizing Dexter’s life as a result of her rash action. It would be
a shame if he died, but she was hesitant to smear Dexter’s filthy blood on Richard’s fist.
“Are you hiding something from me?” Richard asked from the other end of the line.
“Nothing. It’s just a small matter; I’ll tell you next time,” she said as she gently nudged him.
“Alright, but only if you call me ‘honey’.” The man suddenly made a request.
Ang’s cheeks were flushed as she had never uttered those words to any men before. “Do I have
to?” she asked shyly.
“Yes. I’d like to hear it.”
“Ho-Honey…” she blurted out bluntly.
“Sweetheart,” he responded with a smile.
“It’s so cringey,” Ang expressed while covering her face. Having said that, she made the unexpected
decision to get back to him.
“Be honest with me, Richard. Did you really feel nothing when I kissed you for the first time?” Now that
he had seeded in making Ang his girlfriend, she needed to recount all the times he did a number
on her.
To his surprise, Richard was taken aback by her questioning.
“Were you really unaware of my feelings for you back in the base?” he countered.
“Well, it didn’t have to be me. Any woman who did the same would have won your heart too,” Ang
rebuked while blushing. It was true that there were a few embarrassing moments.
“No. Only you. I will never allow other women to touch me.” He was adamant that Ang was the only
person who could touch him.
“Really?” she eximed before bursting out intoughter.
“Yes!” the man affirmed.
Early next morning, Ang arrived at the police station with herprehensive evidence—the pictures
and audio recordings that Dexter had sent her. Without a doubt, the police epted it right away.
She also assisted the police in apprehending Dexter before charging him with extortion.
Thest time Trevor and the others reported Dexter, he was only detained for seven days before being
released. He was bing increasingly agitated to the point that he had to devise such an illegal
scheme to obtain money.