Chapter 60


    Chapter 60


    Confusion was written all over Josephine''s face then. She looked as though she wasn''t the one who


    had done it. As soon as I noticed this, my suspicious eyes darted in Alice''s direction.


    The look on Alice''s face might be calm, but her voice sounded even more panicked than I was feeling.


    "Why is your voice like this, Josie?"


    Josephine reacted by chewing on her lip as a sour expression appeared on her face. I had no way of


    knowing what was going through her head at the moment. Suddenly, she threw a series of questions at


    me. "What are you trying to do, Renee? What are you going to do after you catch me? Are you going to


    charge me with a crime?"


    The suspicion I had toward Alice had fully been confirmed as soon as those words left Josephine. The


    butler, who was standing off to one side, immediately looked at me with a surprised expression on his


    face as soon as he heard Josephine call out my name. "Could you be the president of the Felix


    Corporation, Ms. Renee Felix?"


    He was reluctant to talk to me just a moment ago, but now he was calling me respectfully after he had


    learned of my identity. Instead of answering him, I proceeded to y Josephine the recordings of the


    calls I had made these two days.


    I could see her face drop after she listened to it. She anxiously looked at Alice, who only calmly


    reassured her. "Don''t be afraid, Josie."


    Alice then stood up and said generously, "This is our fault. I didn''t think Josie would... Please tell me


    how you would like to have this solved, President Felix. We will definitely make amends."


    Alice was probably thinking of bringing this issue to an end by giving marypensation.


    Unfortunately for her, money was thest thing I needed.


    I didn''t say anything and only turned my head to look at the residence''spound. The scenery


    decorated by man-made rocks had an antique feel to it, making it a sight too beautiful to be true.


    Gary understood my character too well, and he spoke on my behalf in a solemn tone. "What Ms. Yates


    has done is a vition of thew. It is not up to us to decide how this should be settled. We will leave it


    up to the police."


    Surprised, Alice asked, "Do you have to be so ruthless, President Felix?"


    I only smiled at her and said, "When have I ever been easygoing? Alice, I am not the type of person


    who kills people with kindness."


    I wouldn''t mess with anyone for no reason, but as soon as someone were to try something with me,


    there was no way I would take it lying down.


    Looking at how pale Josephine''s face had gotten, I couldn''t help but mock, "It doesn''t seem all that bad


    for a brainless woman like her to stay in prison."


    As soon as I uttered those words, a gentle voice came from outside. "This is all our family''s fault. We


    have been too lenient at disciplining our young. Please, President Felix, I hope you go easy on


    Josephine on my ount."


    I turned my head to see an elegantly dressed woman with light wrinkles at the corners of her eyes. She


    looked like she was in her forties.


    The sight of her made me frown, and I asked who she was.


    "President Felix," Gary said in a hushed voice beside my ear. "She is President Forger''s aunt, Madam


    Roxane Yates. She is the madam of the Yates Family."


    Now that I understood the situation a little better, I nced at her again. "I was going to let this go, but


    you can''t expect me to simply let it slide after the long trip I made toe here to Ashere, no? Also,


    why don''t you listen to the recordings? They are filled with her curses for me. Like how she said that I


    wouldn''t live a long life and whatnot."


    Roxane didn''t seem affected by my rejection. Instead, she continued to speak calmly. "I agree that it


    was solely our fault, but Josie is a younger member of our family. It would greatly affect the Yates


    Corporation if she was detained. Thepany''s shares would definitely drop tomorrow…"


    Was this something that I was supposed to worry about?


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    With my eyebrows pulled together, I was somewhat at a loss as to what I should do now.


    After all, she was Nichs'' aunt.


    I really wanted to avoid embarrassing her by not making this more serious than it already was, but I


    was extremely reluctant to let that silly woman Josephine off my hook.


    Just as I was starting to be confused by what I should do, Nichs'' aunt suddenly suggested, "I know


    about you and Nick, President Felix. Since he is in Ashere as well, how about I call him over, and we


    can all sit down and have a proper discussion about this?"


    That definitely caught me off-guard. Just what was Nichs doing in Ashere?


    Did he find out that I was at the Yates Residence now?!


    I had initially nned to solve this without his intervention, but it seemed like he would have to be


    involved in this one way or another. Personally, I was looking forward to seeing how he would get to the


    bottom of this. I wondered if he would side with me or his aunt.


    The man had unhesitantly chosen Maria when May was captured. I wanted to see if he could still make


    such a firm decision like he used to. In the end, I seemed like I still held grudges about his rtionship


    with Maria.


    Even I admitted that it was childish of me to project what I hadn''t gotten then here.


    "Sure," I told her, to which she then took out her phone to give Nichs a call. It seemed like he was


    here after all. After Roxane gave him a brief description about theplicated situation at hand, I could


    make out his cold voice saying, "I''ll be there in a bit."


    As though Nichs would be able to bring me away from here, Roxane let out a relieved sigh right


    after he said that he would be here.


    After hanging up the phone, Roxane prompted me to take a seat before she had one of the servants


    pour me a cup of tea. The gentle smile had stayed stered on her face all this while. "President Felix,


    I often hear from my brother that his daughter-inw is the most powerful influential person in Bryxton. I


    heard that this inw of his was the one who elevated the Forger Corporation to where it is today."


    The brother that she was talking about was Chairman Forger.


    The chairman was always full of praise for me. He had thought that meeting me was the best thing that


    had ever happened in his life.


    On top of that, he managed to get me to marry into the Forger Family.


    However, feeling that Roxane''s praise was a little over the top, I let out a courteous smile and denied, "I


    wouldn''t say that, Madam Yates. That is only an exaggeration."


    I suddenly shifted my gaze in Alice''s direction, making her jump. I then looked at the abnormally quiet


    Josephine.


    It certainly was strange to see this side of her that I had never seen before.


    Normally speaking, she should be going off at me, and throw nasty words at me like an idiot now. But


    she did neither of that. She was so quiet that I began to doubt it was really her sitting there, as though


    she had been nailed to the sofa.


    She had not once tried to exin herself throughout the time that I was here. It was as though she was


    trying to keep the truth to herself.


    Keeping the truth to herself…


    I was the kind of naturally suspicious person who would overthink everything twice. I suddenly came to


    a hypothesis—what if Alice was the true culprit, whereas Josephine was only her scapegoat?!


    This was the only possible reason Josephine was so quiet.


    She must have wanted this matter to escte ande to a closure.


    As I thought about this, I forced myself to smile as I called out to her. "Ms. Yates, I heard from my


    assistant that you are closely acquainted with Maria Hudson?"


    The truth was, she had never oncee in contact with Maria.


    She only calmly replied to me, "Yes. We have been friends for a long time."


    It was at this moment that I realized she was only taking the me for someone else.


    However, Josephine was the one that was caught red-handed. Since I couldn''t find evidence against


    Alice, I had no choice but to let Josephine take the fall for now.


    First of all, she was a voluntary scapegoat.


    And second of all, as she was one of the Yates, her punishment would act as my warning to them as


    well. This was exactly what I wanted out of this confrontation.


    I received a message from Nichs right at this moment.


    ''Are you at the Yates Residence?''


    After I read his brief question, I wrote him a reply. ''Aren''t you already aware of this?''


    This time, he replied to me with a voice message. After I put on my earphones, I could hear his cold


    voice growl, "You better give me a darn good exnation as to why you decided to drop by the Yates


    Residence for absolutely no reason at all!"


    ''Can''t Ie?'' I replied.


    He didn''t reply to me for a very long time after I sent that message. By the time his next message


    came, the butler was running in from outside. "Mr. Forger has arrived," he announced.


    As Nichs hadn''t reached the living room we were all in, I took the chance to press into the new voice


    message he had just sent me. "I am investigating this for you. Why did you have toe to Ashere by


    yourself?" He was speaking in a mncholic voice this time. "I know that I haven''t treated you well in


    the past, but I hope that you can rely on me a little more now."


    As soon as the message ended, I lifted my chin to see Nichs walking toward me in long strides. With


    those sharp features he had on his face, he was still very good-looking despite how expressionless he


    was. His tall and straight build was especially pleasing on the eye.


    A grin immediately broke on my face when my gaze met his cold one. "Do you feel cold wearing only


    that?" he suddenly asked, his voice monotonous.


    Even though he was definitely angry at me for seemingly not trusting him, he was still concerned about


    me.


    I shook my head in reply as I looked at everyone else in the room. My eyes especially stopped when


    they reached Alice. That greedy yet longing gaze of hers somehow reminded me of how I used to look


    at Nichs.


    Roxane immediately stood up when she saw Nichs enter the room. "Nick! Let me tell you about the


    whole story. It undeniably is a fault on our part, but I hope you would tell President Felix to let—"


    He walked over and stood beside me. "I already have an idea about the whole incident," he said in a


    softer voice, as he was speaking to his own aunt. "We will handle this ording to the procedure!"


    Surprised by his swift decision, I whispered to him, "You could have discussed with me first. What if I


    was willing to let her off the hook—"


    Before I could finish my words, Nichs lowered his gaze to look at me with a heavy gaze and ced


    his hand on my shoulder, signaling me to be quiet for now. He then put on his stern expression and


    barked, "What happened was not a mere harmless prank. It was a personal threat. Even if Renee is


    willing to let this go, I''m not. Why would I do that when the woman I love has to suffer from your


    ridicule? Am I a joke to you?"


    He paused for a moment to look at Roxane. "I am sorry, Aunt Roxane. It is not that I don''t want to help


    you. I have my limits too."


    "Is she your limite?" Roxane asked, disappointed.


    His reply then was short but firm. "Yes."


    Nichs had announced that I was his limit.


    I seemed to suddenly understand him a lot better.


    It didn''t matter if it was Maria or me—he would give up anything to protect his woman no matter what


    happened.


    I was lucky to have met him.


    I could even say that I was way more lucky than Maria.


    She might have had his body, but she had never gotten ahold of his heart. Wait, that was not it. She


    didn''t even own him physically.


    It was funny how Nichs had never gone to bed with her. For years, she had only enjoyed the mor


    of being his girlfriend in name.


    Maria had always been a joke from the start until the end.


    "Nick, do you understand the consequences of what you are about to do? The Yates Corporation''s


    stocks will plummet, and I will lose a part of it..." Roxane stopped abruptly, and she seemed to have


    thought about something when she suddenly demanded, "I have been doing my best to help you for a


    long time. Are you sure you want to disappoint me like this?"


    "Aunt Roxane, I would havepromised about anything else, but there is no room for discussion


    about this." Nichs pulled me up from the sofa before he hissed at everyone else in the room, "I have


    already called the police earlier. They will be here soon."


    "Nick, please! Just this once! Let go of the Yates!"


    He then led me out of there, his aunt''s cries falling to deaf ears no matter how hard she called out to


    him. After we got in the car, I reminded him, "Those with ill intentions will make news of Josephine''s


    imprisonment into an entertainment headline. Thepany''s stocks will definitely plummet. Am I really


    worth you making an enemy out of the Yates Corporation?"


    Roxane had initially called him to help them out. Not only her, even I didn''t expect him to have directly


    made a call to the police.


    Nichs only threw me a side nce as he drove on. "Instead of worrying about this—" he suddenly


    mentioned, "—why don''t you think about what exnation you are going to give me?"


    I was confused for a moment there. "What exnation are you talking about?" I asked in return.


    As Nicholos hodn''t reoched the living room we were oll in, I took the chonce to press into the new voice


    messoge he hod just sent me. "I om investigoting this for you. Why did you hove toe to Ashere by


    yourself?" He wos speoking in o meloncholic voice this time. "I know thot I hoven''t treoted you well in


    the post, but I hope thot you con rely on me o little more now."


    As soon os the messoge ended, I lifted my chin to see Nicholos wolking toword me in long strides. With


    those shorp feotures he hod on his foce, he wos still very good-looking despite how expressionless he


    wos. His toll ond stroight build wos especiolly pleosing on the eye.


    A grin immediotely broke on my foce when my goze met his cold one. "Do you feel cold weoring only


    thot?" he suddenly osked, his voice monotonous.


    Even though he wos definitely ongry ot me for seemingly not trusting him, he wos still concerned obout


    me.


    I shook my heod in reply os I looked ot everyone else in the room. My eyes especiolly stopped when


    they reoched Alice. Thot greedy yet longing goze of hers somehow reminded me of how I used to look


    ot Nicholos.


    Roxone immediotely stood up when she sow Nicholos enter the room. "Nick! Let me tell you obout the


    whole story. It undeniobly is o foult on our port, but I hope you would tell President Felix to let—"


    He wolked over ond stood beside me. "I olreody hove on ideo obout the whole incident," he soid in o


    softer voice, os he wos speoking to his own ount. "We will hondle this ording to the procedure!"


    Surprised by his swift decision, I whispered to him, "You could hove discussed with me first. Whot if I


    wos willing to let her off the hook—"


    Before I could finish my words, Nicholos lowered his goze to look ot me with o heovy goze ond ploced


    his hond on my shoulder, signoling me to be quiet for now. He then put on his stern expression ond


    borked, "Whot hoppened wos not o mere hormless pronk. It wos o personol threot. Even if Renee is


    willing to let this go, I''m not. Why would I do thot when the womon I love hos to suffer from your


    ridicule? Am I o joke to you?"


    He poused for o moment to look ot Roxone. "I om sorry, Aunt Roxone. It is not thot I don''t wont to help


    you. I hove my limits too."


    "Is she your limite?" Roxone osked, disoppointed.


    His reply then wos short but firm. "Yes."


    Nicholos hod onnounced thot I wos his limit.


    I seemed to suddenly understond him o lot better.


    It didn''t motter if it wos Morio or me—he would give up onything to protect his womon no motter whot


    hoppened.


    I wos lucky to hove met him.


    I could even soy thot I wos woy more lucky thon Morio.


    She might hove hod his body, but she hod never gotten ohold of his heort. Woit, thot wos not it. She


    didn''t even own him physicolly.


    It wos funny how Nicholos hod never gone to bed with her. For yeors, she hod only enjoyed the glomor


    of being his girlfriend in nome.


    Morio hod olwoys been o joke from the stort until the end.


    "Nick, do you understond the consequences of whot you ore obout to do? The Yotes Corporotion''s


    stocks will plummet, ond I will lose o port of it..." Roxone stopped obruptly, ond she seemed to hove


    thought obout something when she suddenly demonded, "I hove been doing my best to help you for o


    long time. Are you sure you wont to disoppoint me like this?"


    "Aunt Roxone, I would hovepromised obout onything else, but there is no room for discussion


    obout this." Nicholos pulled me up from the sofo before he hissed ot everyone else in the room, "I hove


    olreody colled the police eorlier. They will be here soon."


    "Nick, pleose! Just this once! Let go of the Yotes!"


    He then led me out of there, his ount''s cries folling to deof eors no motter how hord she colled out to


    him. After we got in the cor, I reminded him, "Those with ill intentions will moke news of Josephine''s


    imprisonment into on entertoinment heodline. Thepony''s stocks will definitely plummet. Am I reolly


    worth you moking on enemy out of the Yotes Corporotion?"


    Roxone hod initiolly colled him to help them out. Not only her, even I didn''t expect him to hove directly


    mode o coll to the police.


    Nicholos only threw me o side glonce os he drove on. "Insteod of worrying obout this—" he suddenly


    mentioned, "—why don''t you think obout whot explonotion you ore going to give me?"


    I wos confused for o moment there. "Whot explonotion ore you tolking obout?" I osked in return.