Chapter 1204


    Ian was lounging in a private room at the BlueSky Bar, surrounded by a sea of whiskey bottles.


    Fitch was by his side, engrossed in a phone call, the conversation probably rted to Eric Raymond.


    Eric had told his higher-ups that he had lost the portion of his memory that pertained to his experiments


    and the location of the microchip. He needed to interact more with people he once knew of to unlock


    these lost memories.


    Among those he was acquainted with were Fitch, Ian, and Maja. Of course, this also included the entire


    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    Raymond family.


    Fitch, exasperated, ended his call and turned his attention to Ian, who was sitting quietly on his own.


    His spirits deted.


    "So you just let him waltz back into the Raymond family like that? Tonight, the Raymond family are


    throwing him a wee party. The whole of Greenfield knows about it. If you don''t show up, rumors


    about a feud between you two will spread instantly. I also heard that Grandma Edith is rushing back for


    the event."


    Fingers twitching slightly, Ian lightly swirled his drink.


    Fitch sighed, "When we didn''t know that Eric was still alive, I helped you look for him everywhere. But


    now that he''s back, something feels off. He''s clearly signaling his intention to reim his position as


    CEO of the Raymond Corporation and oust you from the family. Eric has changed. He may seem as


    gentle as before, but he''s be more aggressive, especially towards you."


    After finishing, Fitch took a swig of his drink and added curiously, "Ian, I remember your rtionship


    with Eric wasn''t always this strained, right? One time, Eric wanted to get a dog but didn''t know about


    your allergy. Your mom knew but didn''t care. Because of your allergy, Eric gave the dog away. And


    when you used to get into fights and cry, he would alwaysfort you. We often got into fights with


    others. You were the toughest and got hit the most. He couldn''t bear to see you getting hurt and would


    step in to help."


    Fitch had seen Eric the day before and felt that his demeanor was off.


    Ian put down his ss and leaned back on the couch.


    He was a little drunk and started reaching out into the air.


    "Maja," he slurred.


    Fitch checked his phone for group messages. Everyone was discussing the wee party the


    Raymond family were throwing that night, and Grandma Edith''s anticipated appearance.


    People were hinting around, curious to know if Ian would attend.


    Fitch felt a wave of annoyance and was about to take away his phone. Suddenly remembering


    something, he called Maja.


    "Ian''s drunk, and he keeps calling your name."


    Ever since Ian left this morning, they hadn’t contacted.


    Maja had been feeling uneasy, and after hearing it, she immediately drove over.


    In her haste, she tripped and lost one of her shoes in a gap on the floor before entering the room.


    She noticed a figure standing beside her and looked up to see Fitch.


    Fitch gestured with his chin and asked, "Did you notice the statue at the entrance of the BlueSky Bar?"


    Maja nodded, unsure why he was asking.


    The statue was quite noticeable, rumored to have cost hundreds of thousands.


    Fitch held a cigarette between his fingers, his posture slightly arrogant, "Last time he got drunk. He


    mistook the statue for you and insisted on taking it home."


    Maja was speechless, unable to picture Ian doing such a thing.


    "Maja, I''ve known him for many years. To others, he''s a closed book, disdaining to say more than


    necessary. With you, he''s stubbornly unyielding, refusing to admit his feelings. The harsher he is to


    you, the more he hopes you''d stand by his side. If you coax him a bit, even if it''s not sincere, he''d


    believe you. All he wants is your attitude."


    Fitch flicked his cigarette into a nearby trashcan, not wanting to say any more, and left the ce.


    Maja nced at her lost shoe but decided to ignore it. She took off her other shoe and entered the


    room.


    She saw Ian sitting quietly in the dim light.


    "Ian?" she called.


    Ian immediately straightened up, his gaze firstnding on her face before slowly moving down to her


    bare feet.


    "Why aren''t you wearing shoes?"


    His voice was pleasant, his words clear. Maja initially thought he wasn''t drunk until he took off his own


    jacket andid it at her feet.


    He squatted down in front of her, looking up at her, his eyes glistening.


    "Put this on."


    His jacket was made of high-quality fabric and felt smooth under her feet. But Maja was speechless at


    his suggestion.


    "Ian, you''re drunk. Let me get you home."


    Ian returned to his seat on the couch and turned away in a huff.


    "Weren''t you ignoring me? He''s back now. You must be thrilled. After waiting all these years,


    congrattions to you two on finally getting together. How fortunate I am to witness this."


    Maja put on a wry smile, not knowing what to make of his drunken ramblings.