Everyone was stunned.


    Just a kiss?


    Was it really necessary to chase Hayden for fifteen years just because of a kiss?N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    What a legend!


    “No exnation needed! My best friend said a kiss is as good as sleeping together, and you also held me saying you would marry me when we grow up! Are you not a man? Don’t you remember what you said?” Pa grew angrier as she thought about it.


    It was her first kiss.


    For this first kiss, she had not dated anyone for twenty-three years, all to make Hayden take responsibility.


    But this guy!


    He refused to acknowledge it!


    Hayden was so angry he was jumping, “Which best friend said that? Let here here, I’ll show her! Responsible after just a kiss? If that’s the case, considering all the women I’ve kissed, would I have to marry all of them?”


    Nonsense!


    He was absolutely furious!


    What did he mean by he had kissed many women?


    He had only kissed Pa.


    Just because of that one kiss, which led to being chased for over a decade, he was terrified of dating.


    “You dare kiss someone else!” Pa’s face instantly turned green.


    Hayden was about to exin when Pa turned and continued to cling to Tina’s legs, wailing loudly, “Serena, look at this jerk! Not only does he refuse to take responsibility for me, but he’s also involved with other women. I am suffering, truly suffering.”


    Tina was overwhelmed by her wailing.


    She raised her hand to rub her temples, quickly grabbed Hayden, and, amidst his cries of surprise, swiftly fixed his previously dislocated arm, then pushed him towards Pa.


    “Go get your marriage license!” Tina said dismissively, disgust evident in her eyes.


    Hayden, with a look of utter misery, pleaded, “Serena, it’s really not like she says.”


    “What then?” Tina’s gaze sharpened, “Not responsible after a kiss?”


    She had never dated either.


    Only Jared had kissed her.


    Thus, in her dictionary, a kiss meant responsibility.


    Sleeping together meant even greater responsibility!


    Pa nodded vigorously, “Exactly, a kiss means responsibility.”


    This Serena really got things done!


    Hayden, “…”


    I am truly wronged!


    Had I known it woulde to this, I would have died rather than kissed her.


    But he had clearly forgotten that back then, he was just ten years old, and seeing seven-year-old Pa, cute as a porcin doll, he couldn’t resist kissing her.


    After the kiss, he had earnestly said, “Don’t worry, I will marry you in the future!”


    Hayden turned to look, hoping Jared would speak on his behalf, but then he thought, today’s drama was all Jared’s doing, it would be strange if he helped.


    He sighed, “Serena, can we solve this ourselves? Marriage isn’t child’s y, it’s for life. We can’t just rashly settle it over something from childhood, can we?”


    After saying this, Hayden turned to Pa, “Shall we go out and talk? I promise I won’t run this time!”


    Pa thought for a moment, then said, “Alright!”


    She was going to marry Hayden one day and didn’t want them to always meet like enemies; it was best if they could have a good talk.


    Seeing Pa had no objections, Tina had none either, “Solve it yourselves!”


    As she spoke, her gaze hardened, looking at Hayden, “Don’t make me solve it.”


    A chill ran down Hayden’s spine; he could only hunch his neck and nod, “Understood, Serena, I’ll handle it well.”


    Then, Hayden quickly ran off with Pa.


    Tina looked up coldly as Hayden left with Pa, then sat down again. “Let’s continue eating.”


    “Okay.”


    The people here hadn’t quite recovered from Pa’smotion, and the atmosphere was somewhat quiet.


    Tina’s gaze fell on Jared, her eyebrows raised. “Uncle, that was quite the surprise.”


    Jared smirked. “Cutting ties with me isn’t that easy.”


    Tina was silent for a moment. Suddenly, she felt a bit sorry for her brother!


    Ten minutester, Hayden returned to the private room alone. Pa had already left.


    The fact that Pa left so quietly was unexpected.


    Tina raised an eyebrow. “Is it settled?”


    Hayden chuckled awkwardly. “I just told that crazy… I told Pa that my old man needs to agree to it, but he definitely won’t.”


    “Why not?” Tina was curious.


    During the ten minutes Hayden was away, she had learned about Pa’s family situation from Jared and the Reed siblings. Pa was a daughter of the Ashbury White family.


    Unlike the other major Ashbury families like the Farrells and the Cohens, the White family did not participate in the rankings of Ashbury, but their influence was immense.


    The White family belonged to a hidden n. There are many families that retreated from the world centuries ago, possessing strong foundations and extensive influence. Each family carried secrets passed down from former dynasties. They practiced martial arts, but their techniques were unlike ordinary martial arts; they were highly lethal.


    However, little was known about the hidden ns because their members rarely appeared in public and had never conflicled with the Ashbury ns, so people only knew superficial details.


    The White family was the only hidden n that had re-emerged into the world after retreating. They were independent but were also ostracized by the major Ashbury families, hence there was hardly any interaction between them.


    It was rumored that the White family worked for the state in very secretive matters.


    As for Pa, she was better known because she was a technology mogul. She specialized in the research of newbat machines and various types of weaponry. Each of her research projects was taken up by the state.


    In short, she was an impressive figure.


    Hayden sighed. “The White family is a hidden n, and Serena, you’ve been living in Serenity Ridge for a long time, so you might not know, but the Ashbury elite families are quite resistant to the hidden ns.”


    Tina had developed many things, but she wasn’t very familiar with the affairs of the hidden ns and the Ashbury elite families.


    Hayden’s exnation piqued her interest. “How so?”


    “I’m not entirely sure myself,” Hayden continued. “I’ve only heard my father mention that once a family identally offended a hidden n and got wiped out.”


    Hayden paused, then added, “When I say wiped out, I don’t mean they were killed, but that they just disappeared. Twenty-something family members, and to this day, their whereabouts are unknown. Everyone actually knows it was the hidden n’s doing, but there’s no evidence.”


    In this era, regardless of the family, no one dared to kill openly.


    But for a hidden n, killing someone effortlessly and leaving no trace was entirely possible.